The Relationship Between Work Culture and the Challenges Faced by Early Childhood Education Teachers in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

School work culture is a key factor in the effectiveness of school organizational management. However, teachers face various challenges in shaping quality school organizational management. Therefore, this study aims to identify the relationship between work culture and the challenges faced by early childhood education (ECE) teachers in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. This study uses a quantitative approach, specifically a survey method involving 81 ECE teachers from both the public and private sectors serving in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The research instrument used a questionnaire to collect data on work culture practices and the challenges faced by ECE teachers. Data analysis used descriptive statistics to identify the level of work culture and the level of challenges faced by ECE teachers. Meanwhile, Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between work culture and the challenges faced by ECE teachers. The findings show that the level of work culture among ECE teachers is high (mean = 4.25, SD = 0.676), while the level of challenges faced by ECE teachers is moderate (mean = 2.82, SD = 0.948). This study also shows that there is no significant relationship between work culture and the challenges faced by ECE teachers (r = -0.083, Sig. = 0.463 > 0.05). Therefore, all responsible parties need to work together to shape an effective work culture for teachers and reduce the challenges they face.