Exploring the relationship between institutional legitimacy and teachers’ innovative behavior: the serial mediating effects of psychological empowerment and normative commitment

Teachers play a pivotal role in advancing student learning outcomes and nurturing creativity by continuously innovating their practices. Based on the conservation of resources theory and social exchange theory, this study explored the relationship between institutional legitimacy and innovative behavior, examining the serial mediation of psychological empowerment and normative commitment. Data from 450 Chinese elementary, middle, and high school teachers were analyzed to find a significant positive correlation between institutional legitimacy and innovative behavior. While institutional legitimacy may not directly affect innovation behavior, it influences it through three pathways: the mediating effect of psychological empowerment, the mediating effect of normative commitment, and the serial mediating effect of psychological empowerment and normative commitment. These findings reveal the psychological mechanism through which institutional legitimacy affects innovative behavior, providing a scientific basis for devising effective strategies to promote teachers’ innovative practices.