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.