Professional identity and occupational demands during wartime and their implications for burnout: The case of early childhood educators

Armed conflict poses severe challenges to early childhood education systems and places exceptional psychological and emotional demands on early childhood educators (ECE). The present study examines the relationship between professional identity and burnout among ECEs during wartime, while integrating unique war-related job demands, children’s behavior, occupational perception, social support, and psychological capital, within a comprehensive theoretical model. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources and Conservation of Resources frameworks, mix method research conducted among 181 ECEs in Israel during the ongoing war. Caregiving demands during wartime, perceived effects of the war on children’s behavior, and the perceived impact of the war on occupational meaning were measured using validated and newly developed instruments. Structural equation modeling revealed that the overall model demonstrated acceptable fit. While the direct effect of professional identity on burnout was not significant, occupational perception during wartime significantly moderated this relationship, such that a stronger sense of meaning and mission enhanced the protective role of professional identity. In addition, social support buffered the relationship between caregiving demands and burnout. Psychological capital was positively associated with key resources but did not directly moderate burnout relationships. Qualitative findings further emphasized meaning at work as the dominant theme in educators’ wartime experience. The results highlight the complex resource–demand dynamics shaping burnout during armed conflict and underscore the central role of occupational meaning and social support. Implications for theory, practice, and emergency preparedness training in early childhood education are discussed.