Enhancing Teacher Innovativeness through Transformational Leadership, Organizational Commitment, and Motivation: The Mediating Role of Technological Literacy

This study aims to investigate the influence of transformational leadership, organizational commitment, and teacher motivation on teacher innovativeness, with technological literacy acting as a mediating variable. Recognizing the crucial role of teacher innovation in achieving quality education, this research adopts a sequential mixed-methods approach involving qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys. The qualitative phase involved 11 school principals in Bogor, Indonesia, who provided insights into the innovation landscape within schools, while the quantitative phase involved 127 permanent teachers from 12 accredited private high schools. Validated instruments and structured questionnaires were used to measure five key constructs: transformational leadership, organizational commitment, teacher motivation, technological literacy, and teacher innovativeness. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0, followed by the SITOREM method for strategic improvement mapping. The findings reveal that both transformational leadership and teacher motivation have direct and significant impacts on innovativeness. Furthermore, organizational commitment influences innovativeness indirectly through technological literacy. Among the strongest indicators of innovativeness were self-development and quality improvement. The SITOREM analysis highlighted several high-priority areas for intervention, including leadership support, reward mechanisms, and digital training programs. This research emphasizes the importance of aligning digital competence with motivational and leadership frameworks to enhance innovation capacity. Schools are encouraged to invest in digital literacy programs, foster a culture of innovation, and develop strategic leadership to support teacher growth. The study contributes a practical model for driving educational transformation in developing country contexts and informs policy on effective innovation strategies in schools.