Designing a teacher learning community to support early childhood practitioners' wellbeing and social emotional learning

This study investigates the professional wellbeing of ECEC teachers by looking into the barriers they experienced, coping strategies, and the potential impact of Teacher Learning Communities on their professional development. Adopting the principles of Participatory Action Research, this study included teachers in the research process in identifying and addressing the challenges against their wellbeing and the design and implementation of a TLC to enhance their wellbeing. The TLC process involved six ECEC teachers in a preschool in a municipality in Turkiye. As part of the TLC, regular meetings were held, where participating teachers collaborated on developing new practices, improving their SEL skills and, engaging in reflective practices. The findings show that ECEC teachers face significant structural and emotional barriers, such as inadequate working conditions, and emotional exhaustion in the school environment. They employed coping strategies to maintain a balance between these barriers and their wellbeing. The TLC provided a supportive environment for teachers to share experiences, develop adaptive coping strategies, and enhance their wellbeing. Teachers reported increased self-awareness, improved emotional regulation skills, along with enhanced professional practices. These findings demonstrate the importance of becoming a part of a TLC, engaging in reflective practices, and the empowerment these bring in enhancing teacher wellbeing. The findings also suggest that TLCs can be an effective and sustainable model for professional development and wellbeing improvement in ECEC contexts.