Work

From leadership to innovation: Psychological mechanisms behind teacher creativity in physical education

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The current study uses socio-ecological systems theory to study the influence of servant leadership on the innovative behavior of the teacher in relation to physical education in Chinese schools. The research examines the intermediating roles of school climate for creativity and creative self-efficacy of teachers and the moderating role of leader support for innovation. Of the 600 self-administered questionnaires that were issued, 408 were duly completed through a three-wave face-to-face survey in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Hypotheses were tested using the structural equation modeling technique by employing Smart-PLS. This study establishes that servant leadership significantly predicts teachers' innovative behavior through the mediating mechanisms of a school climate for creativity, the teacher's creative self-efficacy, and the moderation role of leader support for innovation. These findings support the significance of servant leadership in creating an innovative and encouraging school climate and provide practical implications for educational managers and policy makers keen on enhancing innovation in physical education.

Source: Acta Psychologica

DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104965

Authors: Lili Liu, Umer Zaman

Institutions: Xihua University, Woosong University

Language: English

Topic: Physical Education and Pedagogy

Subfield: Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,670