Digital flourishing and occupational stress among kindergarten teachers: A moderated mediation analysis

Xiaohan Wu^1,#, Yuxin Su^1,#, Changjun Wang^2,#, Ronghui Chen^1,*
1 Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
2 School of Education, Guangzhou Huali College, Guangzhou, China
* Corresponding Author: Ronghui Chen. Email: email
# These authors contributed to the work equally and should be regarded as co-first authors
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Psychological and Behavioral Responses in the Workplace: A Psychological Perspective on Positivity and Negativity)

Journal of Psychology in Africa https://doi.org/10.32604/jpa.2026.084099

Received 16 April 2026; Accepted 25 June 2026; Published online 28 August 2026

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Abstract

The study investigated whether digital flourishing buffers occupational stress among Chinese kindergarten teachers, through psychological resilience and thriving at work. The study sample comprised 1914 kindergarten teachers across China (females = 79.68%; the largest age group was 36–45 years, 38.92%). Survey data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis. Results indicated that digital flourishing was associated with lower occupational stress. Psychological resilience partially mediated this relationship for lower occupational stress. Thriving at work significantly moderated both the digital flourishing-to-resilience pathway and the direct digital flourishing-to-stress relationship for teachers high in work thriving. The model was robust across urban and rural settings. These findings are consistent with the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. Positive digital experiences and workplace vitality synergistically mitigate early childhood educators’ occupational stress. Interventions for teacher work wellbeing should sequence thriving-supportive measures (e.g., workload audits, online professional learning circles) before expanding digital engagement initiatives.