School culture and creativity-fostering teacher behavior: The mediating role of implicit leadership theories and the moderating role of teacher seniority

The expectation that teachers be creative in the classroom and, by doing so, foster creativity among their students is challenging to meet, as it involves a highly complex process. Numerous studies have attempted to identify the key factors contributing to teachers’ ability to foster creative environments. The present study contributes to this line of research by integrating implicit leadership theory (ILT), creativity theories, and school culture frameworks to examine an innovative model linking school culture to teachers’ creativity-fostering behavior. Specifically, the study investigated the mediating role of ILT in relations between school culture and teachers’ creativity-fostering behavior and the moderating effect of teachers’ seniority in education on relations between school culture and ILT. The sample included 456 teachers from various schools. Multiple regression analyses revealed that a supportive school culture was significantly associated with teachers fostering students’ creativity. The findings highlight a dynamic interplay between cognitive factors (teachers’ implicit beliefs about leadership) and environmental factors (school culture), related to teachers’ ability to nurture creativity in the classroom. A key conclusion is that teachers do not necessarily need to be inherently creative to promote creativity. Working in a school environment that values and encourages creative thinking while maintaining the ideal school leader's positive mental image can meaningfully support teachers’ capacity to cultivate creativity among their students.