The Relationship Between Social Support and Job Burnout Among Mixed-Age Early Childhood Teachers: Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience and Moderating Role of Self-Efficacy

Xiaorong Gao¹Zhigang Wang^2*

• ¹Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
• ²Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China

Based on Conservation of Resources theory and Social Cognitive Theory, this study constructed a moderated mediation model to examine the relationship between social support and job burnout among mixed-age early childhood teachers. Using stratified cluster sampling, we surveyed 274 mixed-age class teachers in Xi'an and analyzed the data with the PROCESS macro. Results showed that: (1) social support was significantly negatively associated with job burnout; (2) among the dimensions of psychological resilience, the tenacity dimension mediated the relationship between social support and job burnout; and (3) self-efficacy not only moderated the direct pathway from social support to job burnout, but also moderated the second stage of the mediating pathway, with dimension-specific patterns observed. Specifically, the strength dimension of psychological resilience was positively associated with burnout when self-efficacy was high, whereas the optimism dimension was associated with higher burnout when self-efficacy was low. These findings illuminate how social is linked to burnout reduction through the mediating role of psychological tenacity, while also revealing self-efficacy's complex function as both a catalyst and boundary condition in the resource gain process. The results provide empirical evidence for developing targeted support systems and psychological interventions for mixed-age teachers.