GROWTH MINDSET, PRINCIPAL SUPPORT, AND INSTRUCTIONAL INNOVATION THROUGH TEACHER SELF-EFFICACY IN PUBLIC JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN BANGKO PUSAKO DISTRICT

Abstract

Instructional innovation is essential for teachers in responding to the demands of 21st-century education, yet it is influenced not only by technical competence but also by psychological and organizational factors. This study examines the relationships among growth mindset, principal support, teacher self-efficacy, and instructional innovation, with teacher self-efficacy positioned as a mediating variable. The purpose of this study is to analyze the direct and indirect relationships of growth mindset and principal support with teachers’ instructional innovation through teacher self-efficacy. Using a quantitative associative design, data were collected from 120 public junior high school teachers in Bangko Pusako District, Indonesia, through validated Likert-scale questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression analysis, and mediation testing with the Sobel test, following classical assumption testing. The results indicate that growth mindset and principal support have significant positive relationships with teacher self-efficacy. In addition, growth mindset, principal support, and teacher self-efficacy each show significant positive relationships with instructional innovation, with teacher self-efficacy emerging as the strongest predictor. Mediation analysis confirms that teacher self-efficacy partially mediates the relationships between growth mindset and instructional innovation, as well as between principal support and instructional innovation. In conclusion, the findings emphasize the pivotal role of teacher self-efficacy in translating personal beliefs and leadership support into innovative instructional practices, suggesting that strengthening growth mindset, supportive school leadership, and teacher self-efficacy is critical for fostering sustainable instructional innovation.