"I-just-wanna-get-by" hurts teachers and their work: Linking preschool teacher identity to work withdrawals in an emerging economy.

Motivation deficit in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has implications for teacher well-being and education outcomes. This study, utilizing the job demand resource (JD-R) theory, explores the role of teacher identity as a motivational resource that antecedes emotional labor strategies - deep acting and surface acting. We further examined the relationship between emotional labor strategies and teacher work withdrawals - presenteeism and lateness, and the intervening role of teacher emotional exhaustion. We tested our theoretical model using 574 preschool teachers in Ghana. We found that teacher identity relates positively to deep acting but negatively to surface acting. And that deep acting relates to work withdrawals negatively whilst surface acting is associated with them positively. Deep acting diminishes work withdrawals because of its capacity to prevent emotional exhaustion, but the mediation role of emotional exhaustion in surface acting and work withdrawal links was non-significant. Our study presents preliminary evidence from an emerging economy on the central role of teacher identity (motivation component) in emotion management in an attempt to reduce emotional strain, thereby lessening negative work behaviors.

Early childhood educators' emotional labor and burnout in an emerging economy: The mediating roles of affective states.

The costs and benefits of preschool teachers' emotional labor on the quality of education manifest in how emotional labor relates to well-being. Building on the theoretical foundation of conservation of resources theory (COR), this study explores the influence of emotional labor on burnout and the intervening roles of affective states (i.e., positive and negative affect). Our hypotheses were tested using cross-sectional data from 574 preschool teachers in Ghana. The results suggest that surface acting induces emotional exhaustion whilst diminishing personal accomplishment, but deep acting reduces depersonalization. Further, negative affect mediated surface acting and dimensions of burnout relationships. Also, positive affect mediated surface acting and deep acting, and personal accomplishment links. Theoretical and practical implications as well as directions for further research have been discussed.

COVID-19 Pandemic and International Students' Mental Health in China: Age, Gender, Chronic Health Condition and Having Infected Relative as Risk Factors.

International students in China were among the first group of individuals to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the pandemic's impact on their mental health is underexplored. This study-utilizing web-based survey data (N = 381), presents preliminary reports using ANOVA and MIMIC analytic approaches. Following the clinical demarcation of the 21-item version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), we found 24.6%, 38.3%, and 43.6% of the students to suffer mild to extreme stress, anxiety, and depression, respectively. Female students reported significantly higher levels of stress and depression than males. Older students' reports of stress were more substantial than younger students. Students who reported having a relative infected with the virus (vs. those without) experienced significantly higher anxiety and stress. Those who reported having pre-existing chronic health condition(s) (vs. those without) also reported significantly higher stress, anxiety, and depression levels. Moreover, students with an exercise routine (vs. those without) experienced significantly lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Last, our MIMIC model results indicate that foreign students' age, gender, chronic health status, and having a relative infected with the virus constitute significant risk factors explaining variations in foreign students' experience of psychological distress. Implications for international students' management have been thoroughly discussed.