Intercultural sensitivity and competence as predictors of well-being and burnout among early childhood education teachers: a quantitative study in the Italian context

This study explores the relationships between intercultural competence (IC), intercultural sensitivity (IS), subjective well-being (SWB), and burnout among early childhood education (ECE) teachers in Italy. Grounded in Chen and Starosta’s model of IS and Fantini’s framework of IC, the study adopts a quantitative approach to examine how these dimensions are associated with teachers’ well-being and burnout. A total of 503 predominantly female teachers (98.8%), aged 28–67 years (M = 49, SD = ±8.9), completed a questionnaire assessing IC, IS, SWB, and burnout. The findings indicate that higher levels of IS are associated with stronger IC dimensions–knowledge, skills, attitudes, and awareness–as well as higher SWB and lower levels of burnout. However, the knowledge dimension showed a positive association with certain burnout outcomes, while awareness emerged as a significant positive predictor of personal accomplishment. These results highlight the central role of relational and self-reflective capacities in fostering both intercultural competence and teacher well-being. The study underscores the need for training programmes that move beyond knowledge transmission and instead emphasise self-reflection, relational engagement, and community-based approaches to support inclusive and culturally responsive educational environments.