Factors influencing teaching innovation at a university: an extension of the Job Demands-resources (JD-R) model in the digital age

• In Event: Teaching in a Digital Society: Challenges and Innovations

Proposal

Background
The adoption of innovative teaching practices by university teachers is influenced by various factors. Prior research has revealed that this preference can be positively influenced by personal resources, such as teachers’ digital competence (Emo 2015; Holdsworth and Maynes 2017), teaching self-efficacy (Davies 2013; Doo et al. 2019; Kao et al. 2020), and teachers’ beliefs (Admiraal et al. 2017; Joo, Park, and Lim 2018). Additionally, many other studies have explored how organizational resources, such as school climate and social support (Cai and Tang 2021; Chou et al. 2019; Huang, Zhang, and Huang 2020), shape teachers’ willingness to integrate innovation into their teaching practices. On the other hand, teaching innovation can also be perceived as a potential stressor for university teachers, leading to resistance, as the critical demands of academia often require teachers to juggle multiple responsibilities (Thurlings, Evers, and Vermeulen 2015; Vardi 2009). However, there is a surprising scarcity of literature to date systematically examining how the interplay between job resources and demands influence teachers’ choices when it comes to innovative teaching practice.

Research Questions
Against this background, this study employs the job demands-resource (JD-R) model and aims to delve deeper into the intricate relationship between the digital resources available to and demands imposed on university teachers, and their impact on teaching innovation. It aims to establish a moderated mediation model to address the following questions: (a) How do personal and organizational digital resources influence teaching innovation? (b) Does teaching self-efficacy, a key type of personal resources, mediate the process? (c) Is there a moderating effect exerted by digital demands in the process? (d) What theoretical and practical implications can be drawn from the findings to enhance universities’ support for teachers in adopting innovative teaching practices?

Methodology
The data were collected from a national survey of university teachers in China by distributing questionnaires via online platforms and electronic links. The questionnaire comprised several sections, including digital resources, digital demands, teaching self-efficacy, teaching innovation, and demographic characteristics. It utilized a Likert 5-point scale, with 1 indicating “strongly disagree” or “never”, and 5 indicting “strongly agree” or “very often”. After eliminating invalid responses, a total of 1,612 questionnaires were retained for analysis.

Results and Implications
Firstly, this study confirmed the mediating role of teaching self-efficacy in the relationship between resources and teaching innovation. Consistent with prior studies (Cai and Tang 2021; Han et al. 2020a; Huang, Zhang, and Huang 2020), teaching self-efficacy, as a critical type of personal resources, effectively translates organizational and personal resources into positive teaching behaviors.
Secondly, notable differences were observed in how organizational and personal digital resources influence innovative teaching. Organizational digital resources primarily influenced teaching innovation indirectly through the mediating role of teaching self-efficacy, indicating that these resources alone are unlikely to directly translate into innovative teaching. This underscores the crucial role teachers play in effectively leveraging these resources (Neff et al. 2013). Conversely, personal digital resources exerted a more direct and immediate influence on teaching innovation, highlighting the distinct paths and mechanisms at play. This complexity underscores the intricate motivational process within the digitalized educational context (Han et al. 2020a). Furthermore, personal digital resources had a stronger direct impact on teaching innovation compared to organizational resources, emphasizing the self-initiated and internally driven nature of teaching innovation, which is not easily influenced by external mandates or controls (Holdsworth and Maynes 2017).
Thirdly, the current study supported the moderating role of job demands. Specifically, it revealed that job demands negatively impacted the relationship between personal digital resources and teaching self-efficacy. Furthermore, these demands were found to dampen the mediating effect of teaching self-efficacy on the association between personal digital resources and innovative teaching practices. These findings echo previous studies conducted in traditional educational settings (Choochom 2016; Bakker et al. 2007; Lei et al. 2020). Importantly, prior empirical studies have identified a dual effect of job demands, including both positive challenge stressors and negative hindrance stressors (Bakker et al. 2007; LePine, Podsakoff, and LePine 2005). However, the current study does not support this dual effect. This could be attributed to the unique stressors faced by university teachers, who often grapple with a range of job demands in a constantly evolving educational environment. The additional layer of digital demands may further exacerbate the emotional and energetic toll on teachers (Vardi 2009; Stam et al. 2014). Moreover, innovative teaching practices are typically self-directed and internally motivated, suggesting that mandated educational reforms may not align with teachers’ preferences for pedagogical change, potentially leading to negative outcomes (Hargreaves 2004).

Authors

• YiFan Huang, Institute of Education, Xiamen University

• Zi Yang