Individual and school determinants of collective teacher innovativeness: a multilevel analysis

Abstract

Collective teacher innovativeness is the team-level propensity perceived by teachers to seek, develop, and implement new pedagogical practices and is a pivotal factor for successful educational reforms. This study investigates multilevel factors contributing to collective teacher innovativeness. Utilizing data from the 2018 TALIS survey by the OECD, the research employs a two-level hierarchical linear model (HLM) to analyze the impact of teacher- and school-level predictors on collective teacher innovativeness. The findings reveal that professional preparedness, self-efficacy, and teaching autonomy are significant teacher-level predictors of collective teacher innovativeness. Male, permanently employed, or highly educated teachers show lower levels of collective teacher innovativeness. Collaborative culture is the strongest school-level predictor. Public schools show lower levels of collective teacher innovativeness. These results highlight the importance of a collaborative culture where teachers feel competent, autonomous, and well-prepared professionally for shaping collective teacher innovativeness.