Understanding the Impact of Student-Teacher Ratios on Early Childhood Educators' Mental Health: a Study of Teachers' Experiences and Perceptions

Yao, Gabrielle (2025) Understanding the Impact of Student-Teacher Ratios on Early Childhood Educators' Mental Health: a Study of Teachers' Experiences and Perceptions. Teacher-Student Ratio on Early Childhood Educator's Mental Health. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

This study was conducted to find the relationship between teacher-student ratios and the mental health of early-childhood educators through identifying the challenges experienced by the early childhood educators in their kindergarten. The respondents in this study participated in a semi-structured interview on the number of children in their classrooms, their daily work life, the challenges faced by the early childhood educators in their kindergarten, and their mental health and stress. The responses of the early childhood educators revealed the challenges faced including the lack of manpower in the classroom, high parent expectations towards their child’s performance, lack of work-life balance and teacher’s preference to have smaller class sizes. The implications of this study reveal the lack of support provided by kindergartens to early childhood educators to navigate challenges faced by the teachers and the need for smaller teacher-student ratios in the classroom.