Can Career Adaptability Protect Teachers’ Work Engagement from Technostress? A Rapid Systematic Review with Implications for Early Childhood Education

Abstract

The digital transformation of schools has intensified technology-related demands on teachers, yet it remains unclear whether career adaptability can protect teachers’ work engagement from technostress, particularly in early childhood education (ECE). This rapid systematic review aimed to map and synthesise empirical evidence on the relationships among technostress, work engagement, and career adaptability among teachers and to derive implications for ECE. Following PRISMA 2020 and rapid review guidance, records were identified in Scopus (n = 186) and supplemented by manual and citation searching (n = 12). Eligible studies involved teachers or educators, were primary empirical studies, and measured at least two of the three core constructs. After screening 154 records and assessing 27 full-text reports, six cross-sectional studies (N = 2,852) from China, Italy, and Pakistan were included, and their methodological quality was appraised using the JBI checklist. Evidence was most consistent for a positive link between career adaptability and work engagement (four studies), in which career adaptability acted as a predictor, moderator, or sequential mediator. Evidence on technostress was scarce: one study with notable methodological limitations reported a positive association between technostress and work engagement, and one study of inclusive preschool teachers found that digital stress reduced career adaptability. No study tested all three constructs simultaneously. Career adaptability is therefore a promising, but not yet tested, protective resource for teachers’ engagement under technological demands. Longitudinal studies with ECE teachers, including in Indonesia, and interventions that strengthen career adaptability and digital competence are recommended.