The Influence of Digital Leadership Organizational Support and Teachers Digital Competence on Teaching Innovation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53797/ujssh.v5i1.12.2026Keywords:
Digital Leadership, Teaching Innovation, Teachers' Digital Competence, Organizational Support, Higher Education, Serial Mediation, PLS-SEMAbstract
In the era of digital transformation, universities heavily invest in educational technology. However, translating institutional digital infrastructure into grassroots classroom teaching innovation remains a significant challenge, resulting in a persistent "digital paradox." Anchored in Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), this study investigates the underlying mechanisms of this transformation by proposing and testing a serial mediation model. It explores how Digital Leadership (DL) drives Teaching Innovation (TI) through the sequential mediating roles of Organizational Support (OS) and Teachers’ Digital Competence (TDC). A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed. Data were collected from 385 full-time university lecturers across Guangdong Province, China. Hypotheses were empirically tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4. The findings reveal that Digital Leadership does not magically mandate innovation but initiates a vital chain reaction. Digital Leadership significantly enhances Organizational Support (β = 0.644, p < 0.001), which subsequently elevates Teachers’ Digital Competence (β = 0.606, p < 0.001), ultimately leading to authentic Teaching Innovation (β = 0.525, p < 0.001). Crucially, the serial mediation effect (DL → OS → TDC → TI) is highly significant, confirming a strict hierarchical transmission mechanism. To achieve genuine pedagogical modernization, universities must shift from hardware-centric investments to ecosystem-centric support. Visionary digital leadership is effective only when it systemically provides the organizational scaffolding necessary to cultivate teachers' internal digital competence.
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