A multilevel analysis of Inclusive leadership and innovative behavior among primary and junior teachers: evidence from China

Abstract

Teacher innovation is an essential requirement for the education system to adapt to the evolving demands of contemporary society. Although previous studies have confirmed the positive impact of inclusive leadership on employees'innovative behavior, the underlying mechanism of this effect remains incomplete. Therefore, drawing upon the social cognitive theory, this study aims to comprehensively examine the mediating effects of teachers' psychological empowerment and school innovation climate on the relationship between inclusive leadership and innovative behavior among primary and junior teachers. A total of 358 valid questionnaires were administered to primary and junior teachers in mainland China using a convenience sampling approach. The data was analyzed using two-level hierarchical linear modeling and bootstrap testing. The results indicate that principal inclusive leadership significantly accounts for the variance in teacher innovative behavior. Furthermore, teachers' psychological empowerment and school innovation climate serve as mediating mechanisms, with the former playing a pivotal role. The findings enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying inclusive leadership's influence on employees' innovative behavior, thereby facilitating the cultivation innovative teacher.