The Effect of Teacher‐Student Relationships on Innovative Teaching From the Teachers' Perspective: A Moderated Mediation Model of Teacher Self‐Efficacy and Teacher Collaboration

ABSTRACT Most previous studies have focused on the importance of teacher‐student relationships for student development. However, the mechanisms and boundary conditions through which teacher‐student relationships, as the most important interpersonal relationships of teachers in schools, influence teachers' innovative teaching remain unclear. Therefore, using data from 3039 Shanghai junior high school teachers in the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) conducted by OECD in 2018, this study explored the relationship between teacher‐student relationships and teachers' innovative teaching, the mediating role of teacher self‐efficacy, and the moderating role of teacher collaboration. The results showed that teacher‐student relationships were significantly and positively related to both teachers' self‐efficacy and innovative teaching. Teacher self‐efficacy was significantly and positively associated with teachers' innovative teaching. Teacher self‐efficacy mediated the relationship between teacher‐student relationships and teachers' innovative teaching. Teacher collaboration moderated the relationship between teacher‐student relationships and teachers' innovative teaching. Teacher collaboration moderated the relationship between teacher‐student relationships and teacher self‐efficacy. Teacher collaboration moderated the relationship between teacher self‐efficacy and teachers' innovative teaching. Teacher collaboration moderated the mediating effect of teacher self‐efficacy between teacher‐student relationships and teachers' innovative teaching. The findings, along with the theoretical and practical implications of the study, are discussed further.