Untangling pathways from digital instructional leadership to AI pedagogy: a diffusion of innovation theory perspective

Drawing on Diffusion of Innovation Theory, this empirical study examines how digital instructional leadership impacts the integration of AI and AI pedagogy in K-12 schools. In addition, the study examines how trust in AI moderates the relationship between AI integration and AI pedagogy. To achieve this goal, a large-scale cross-sectional survey was administered to 842 K-12 teachers in Taiwan who had prior experience integrating AI tools into their classroom instruction. The data were analyzed using SPSS and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results show that digital instructional leadership significantly predicts AI integration but has no direct effect on AI pedagogy. In addition, AI integration strongly predicts AI pedagogy and mediates the relationship between digital instructional leadership and AI pedagogy, whereas trust in AI does not moderate the relationship between AI integration and AI pedagogy. Both theoretical and practical contributions are discussed, offering insights for future research, policymakers, and teachers.