The Relationship Between Intercultural Adaptation and Resilient Development in Kindergarten Teacher and Caregiver in Ethnic Rural Areas of China: A Mediating Model

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a causal model of the resilience development of kindergarten teachers and caregivers in ethnic rural areas of China using relationship quality as a mediator. Basing on an extensive literature review, variables were identified and hypothesized models were constructed, and each variable was scored on a 5-point Likert scale. A valid survey was conducted and questionnaire data were collected from 1,187 kindergarten teachers and caregivers in Sichuan, Yunnan, and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regions of China, and data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 and Smart-PLS 4.0 software. The results indicated that intercultural adaptation had a significant positive effect on the development of resilience in kindergarten teachers and caregivers, and that relationship quality played a partial mediating role between intercultural adaptation and resilience development in kindergarten teachers and caregivers, confirming that relationship quality is an effective mediator that enhances the development of resilience. Kindergarten teacher and caregiver, educational administration, and their staff would benefit from improving the quality of caregiver relationships, and other factors could be used to expand future research in related areas to improve the development of caregiver resilience in rural kindergartens in ethnic areas of China and to promote the retention of high-quality teachers in ethnic areas.