Are teachers with better quality of work life more innovative? The mediating roles of psychological empowerment and teaching mindsets

Are teachers with better quality of work life (QWL) more innovative, and why? This study examined the relationship between teachers' QWL and their innovative behaviours, alongside the potential underlying mechanisms through psychological empowerment and teaching mindsets. A total of 321 elementary teachers completed a questionnaire. Path analysis demonstrated a significant positive association between QWL and innovative teaching behaviours. Moreover, both psychological empowerment and teaching mindsets significantly mediated this relationship. Specifically, teachers with higher QWL showed greater psychological empowerment and embraced stronger growth mindsets about their teaching abilities, which enables them to become more innovative in their teaching approaches. These findings suggest that quality of work life is not just a matter of teachers' well-being, but it also plays an important role in their teaching quality, which can ultimately benefit the institutions and the students.