Boosting Teacher Innovativeness: Achievement Motivation and Digital Literacy Lead the Way

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FORMOSA NEWS - Depok - A new study by Vera Sri Wahyuni, Sri Setyaningsih, and Lina Novita reveals effective strategies to strengthen teacher innovativeness among public elementary school teachers in Depok. The research, accepted in April 2026, highlights the crucial roles of transformational leadership, an innovative school climate, self-efficacy, digital literacy, and achievement motivation in fostering creative and sustainable teaching practices. The findings are significant as education systems increasingly rely on innovative teaching to meet the demands of the digital era.

The Urgent Need for Innovative Teachers

Rapid technological change is reshaping classrooms worldwide. Teachers are expected to continuously adapt, integrate technology, and design engaging learning experiences. However, real-world observations show that teacher innovativeness remains below expectations, particularly in public elementary schools.

This gap prompted the researchers to examine the key drivers behind innovative teaching behavior. Their work combines leadership, organizational environment, personal capability, and psychological motivation into a single comprehensive model—offering both theoretical insight and practical strategies for schools and policymakers.

Simple Method, Powerful Insights

The research used a quantitative survey of public elementary school teachers in Depok. Teachers completed questionnaires measuring leadership, school climate, motivation, self-belief, and digital skills.

The team analyzed the data using path analysis to examine how each factor directly and indirectly influences teacher innovativeness. To identify strategic priorities, the researchers also applied the SITOREM approach, a method designed to determine which improvement areas should be prioritized.

The resulting model showed exceptionally strong explanatory power, accounting for 93.7% of the variation in teacher innovativeness.

Key Findings at a Glance

All five factors significantly improve teacher innovativeness. However, their impact varies.

Most influential drivers

1. Achievement motivation (β = 0.385)
   The strongest predictor of teacher innovativeness. Teachers with strong achievement drive are more likely to experiment, improve teaching strategies, and adopt new methods.
2. Digital literacy (β = 0.297)
   Technology competence is a major enabler of innovative teaching in modern classrooms.

Supporting drivers

3. Transformational leadership (β = 0.137)

4. Innovative school climate (β = 0.103)

Complementary factor

5. Self-efficacy (β = 0.098)

Although its direct impact is smaller, self-efficacy plays an important indirect role by strengthening achievement motivation.

Overall, the findings show that teacher innovativeness emerges from a combination of internal motivation, digital capability, supportive leadership, and a positive school environment.

Why Motivation and Digital Literacy Matter Most

The study emphasizes that innovation is not driven by facilities alone. Internal motivation plays a central role. Teachers with strong achievement motivation tend to:

• Seek new teaching approaches
• Embrace change and experimentation
• Continuously improve their professional skills

Digital literacy, meanwhile, allows teachers to:

• Integrate technology into learning activities
• Develop interactive teaching materials
• Adapt teaching methods to digital-native students

Vera Sri Wahyuni and her colleagues stress that strengthening these two areas should become a top priority for education policy and teacher development programs.

Implications for Education and Policy

The research provides clear strategic guidance for governments, school leaders, and teacher training institutions.

Recommended actions include:

• Continuous digital literacy training for teachers
• Programs to strengthen achievement motivation and career development
• Leadership development for school principals using transformational approaches
• Creating school cultures that encourage experimentation and innovation
• Building supportive and collaborative work environments

These strategies could significantly improve teaching quality and help schools adapt to rapid technological change.

The study highlights a critical message: improving education is not only about curriculum reform or infrastructure. Human factors—especially teacher motivation and competence—are central to successful educational transformation.

Limitations and Future Research

The research focused on a single region and used a cross-sectional design, meaning the findings cannot yet be generalized nationwide. Future studies are encouraged to include broader geographic samples and long-term research designs.

Researchers also recommend adding variables such as organizational culture and national education policy to enrich future models of teacher innovativeness.

Author Profiles

Vera Sri Wahyuni – Researcher in educational management and teaching innovation.

Sri Setyaningsih – Academic specializing in educational leadership and human resource development.

Lina Novita – Researcher focusing on digital literacy and educational psychology.

Source of Research

Title: Strategies for Improving Teacher Innovativeness through Strengthening Transformational Leadership, Innovative Climate, Self-Efficacy, Digital Literacy, and Achievement Motivation

Year: 2026

Type: Open-access journal article (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0)

Link: https://dmimultitechpublisher.my.id/index.php/ijmbi/index

The study delivers a clear takeaway: sustainable education innovation begins with motivated, digitally skilled teachers supported by strong leadership and a positive school environment.