Exploring the link between psychological capital and teaching for creativity in urban and rural teachers
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22166205 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Xianhan Huang (0000-0002-6182-1211, Education University of Hong Kong, corresponding author), Chan Wang (0000-0002-1442-8484, Education University of Hong Kong) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-25 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2504-284X • E-ISSN: 2504-284X |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/feduc.2026.1607987 |
| OpenAlex | W7165944096 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 61 |
Introduction Teaching for creativity (TfC) has gained increasing emphasis due to its crucial role in improving student engagement and the development of creativity. However, the impact of teachers' state-like psychological factors on their TfC performance remains insufficiently understood. This study fills this gap by exploring how teachers' positive psychological capital, which includes efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism, is related to their TfC in urban and rural school settings. Methods The study involved 2,309 primary school teachers in China. Multi-group structural equation modeling was used to investigate the relationships between the four facets of teachers' positive psychological capital and their TfC, and to compare these relationships between urban and rural teachers. Results The findings revealed that hope was linked to TfC only among urban teachers, whereas optimism was significantly connected to TfC only among rural teachers. Conversely, efficacy and resilience were significantly associated with TfC among both urban and rural teachers. Additionally, urban teachers reported higher levels of efficacy and hope than their rural counterparts. Discussion These findings contribute to the literature by elaborating on the different roles of components of positive psychological capital in shaping teachers' TfC. They also emphasize how educational contexts may influence how teachers' psychological resources translate into creativity-enhancing teaching practices
Creativity · Optimism · Psychological resilience · Rural area · Structural equation modeling · Creativity in Education and Neuroscience · Education, Achievement, and Giftedness · Mind wandering and attention
Fostering Students' Creativity and Critical Thinking
Positive organizational behavior
Teachers’ beliefs about creativity and its nurture
Lateral Collinearity and Misleading Results in Variance-Based SEM
Great expectations
Creativity and Certain Personality Traits
On the Functional Properties of Perceived Self-Efficacy Revisited
Fostering student creativity through teacher behaviors
The Effect of Teacher Psychological and School Organizational and Leadership Factors on Teachers' Professional Learning in Dutch Schools
Measurement Invariance Testing with Many Groups
Optimism, pessimism, and psychological well-being.
Teaching creatively and teaching for creativity
The broaden–and–build theory of positive emotions
Accounting for common method variance in cross-sectional research designs.
Common method biases in behavioral research
A checklist for testing measurement invariance
Target Article
Positive Psychological Capital
The problems, needs and strategies of rural teacher development at deep poverty areas in China
Self-efficacy
Psychological Capital
The mediating role of psychological capital in the supportive organizational climate—employee performance relationship
What really counts? Investigating the effects of creative role identity and self-efficacy on teachers’ attitudes towards the implementation of teaching for creativity
Rural, suburban, and urban schools
What drives teaching for creativity? Dynamic componential modelling of the school environment, teacher enthusiasm, and metacognition
Work harder and smarter
How am I a creative teacher? Beliefs, values, and affect for integrating creativity in the classroom
Leadership and teacher learning in urban and rural schools in China
The role of optimism in social network development, coping, and psychological adjustment during a life transition
Engaging and Working in Solidarity With Local Communities in Preparing the Teachers of Their Children
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |