Balancing Acts: The Impact of Family-Work Conflict on Autonomy Support among Chinese Kindergarten Teachers

Research Findings: This study explored the relationship between family-work conflict and autonomy support among Chinese kindergarten teachers. Autonomous motivation and ego depletion were considered as the mediator and moderator, respectively. A total of 859 kindergarten teachers were recruited and surveyed online. The results showed that (1) Family-work conflict was negatively associated with autonomy support; (2) Autonomous motivation partially mediated the relationship between family-work conflict and autonomy support; (3) The relationship between family-work conflict and autonomous motivation was found to be moderated by ego depletion. Practice or Policy: These findings highlight the contribution of resolving family-work conflict in improving kindergarten teachers' autonomy support. Effective policies should focus on enhancing autonomous motivation and mitigating the negative effects of ego depletion. These strategies are critical to fostering a supportive teaching environment that can benefit both teachers and young children.