The influence of cultural capital on professional identity of preschool teachers in towns and villages：the mediating role of psychological resilience

Abstract

This study employed a triangulation mixed-methods approach, targeting 54 teachers across five public kindergartens in rural Jinan, Shandong Province, to investigate the mediating role of psychological resilience in the relationship between cultural capital and professional identity. Quantitative analyses revealed that psychological resilience significantly predicted professional identity (β=0.492, p<0.001), while qualitative findings further elucidated the successful conversion of cultural capital. The research demonstrated that cultural capital must be mediated by psychological resilience to effectively translate into professional identity, with boundary conditions such as institutional support moderating this effect. The study innovatively proposes a "cultural capital conversion efficacy" theoretical framework, utilizing a "quant-qual integration" validation method. These findings offer a theoretical foundation for rural teacher workforce development, suggesting that composite interventions, including "indigenous curriculum development + psychological resilience training," can enhance teacher stability.