Modelling the determinants of innovative teaching practices among primary school teachers in Oman through a multi-group analysis using PLS-SEM

In this research, the factors influencing innovative teaching practices among primary school teachers in Oman were explored, with specific references to transformational leadership, school climate, teacher self-efficacy, and organizational learning, considering gender as a moderating variable. The study aims to fill a significant gap in the literature by addressing the issue of leadership, organizational, and individual factors influencing innovative behavior in teachers working in the context of Omani schools. The design used was quantitative and cross-sectional; the data were collected from 368 primary school teachers in Muscat using a structured questionnaire that was tested and validated based on expert reviews and reliability testing. The data analysis was performed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) of SmartPLS 4 based on the existing analytical principles. The results reveal that transformational leadership is significantly and positively associated with innovative teaching (β = 0.128), and teacher self-efficacy is strongly and positively associated with innovative teaching (β = 0.749). In contrast, school climate and organizational learning did not show statistically significant direct associations. The multi-group analysis also demonstrates gender differences in the way people respond to the determinants of critical significance, which supports the necessity of differentiated approaches and inclusivity. This research adds to the paucity of existing empirical research on educational innovation in Oman by identifying teacher self-efficacy as the strongest individual-level correlate of innovative teaching alongside transformational leadership, and points out the significance of gender as a contextual moderator of the leadership-innovation and self-efficacy-innovation relationships. The results provide practical information to policymakers and school leaders who want to support innovative teaching from the angles of transformational leadership development, specific professional learning, and gender-sensitive approaches.