Negative workplace gossip and turnover intention among Chinese kindergarten teachers: the mediating role of work engagement

IntroductionHigh rates of staff attrition in early childhood education (ECE) have emerged as a worldwide concern, undermining the operational stability of educational settings and the developmental well-being of young children. Negative workplace gossip, a prevalent form of dysfunctional interpersonal conduct, represents a potential key determinant of kindergarten teachers’ intent to leave their positions, yet the underlying psychological mechanisms through which it operates remain underexplored. This study draws on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory to fill this research gap.MethodsThis cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between perceived negative workplace gossip and kindergarten teachers’ turnover intention, as well as the mediating role of work engagement. A total of 1,306 practicing kindergarten teachers in mainland China completed validated self-report questionnaires, including the Perceived Negative Workplace Gossip Scale, the Intent to Leave Scale, and the Work Engagement Scale. IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0 and Amos 31.0 were used for statistical analysis. The analytical procedures included confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for measurement model validation, Pearson correlation analysis for bivariate relationship testing, and the PROCESS macro to verify the mediating effect.ResultsPerceived negative workplace gossip showed a positive correlation with turnover intention and a negative correlation with work engagement, while work engagement was negatively correlated with turnover intention. Regression analysis further confirmed that negative workplace gossip significantly and positively predicted teachers’ turnover intention, and work engagement partially mediated the link between negative workplace gossip and turnover intention.DiscussionThese findings clarify the mediating psychological pathway through which negative workplace gossip shapes kindergarten teachers’ turnover intention, advancing the theoretical framework for research on ECE teacher attrition. Practically, the results offer feasible strategies for ECE institutions to construct positive workplace environments, improve teachers’ work engagement, and lower staff turnover rates.