From HRM practices to AI-enabled innovation: The mediating role of teachers AI readiness

The rapid digital transformation of education and the growing integration of artificial intelligence in schools create new demands for teachers’ skills and innovation. This paper aims to examine the impact of strategic human resource management practices on teachers’ innovative work behaviour by analysing the mediating role of artificial intelligence readiness and the moderating role of growth mindset. Survey data were collected from 218 teachers working in Kazakhstani schools. The findings show that artificial intelligence readiness partially mediates the relationship between perceived human resource management practices and teachers’ innovative work behaviour, indicating that human resource management systems support innovation partly by developing teachers’ artificial intelligence -related capabilities. Growth mindset was also found to have a positive direct relationship with innovative work behaviour. However, it did not significantly moderate the relationship between artificial intelligence readiness and innovative work. These outcomes suggest that technology investments in schools should be supplemented by human resource management and professional development practices that improve teachers’ capabilities and opportunities to engage with artificial intelligence.