Resource gain spirals in the digital era: How digital literacy drives teachers’ digital teaching innovation behavior via self-efficacy and knowledge sharing

With the ongoing digital transformation of education, the critical role of digital literacy (DL) in fostering teachers’ Digital Teaching Innovation Behavior (DTIB) has become increasingly apparent. However, the mechanisms through which DL influences DTIB remain unclear. Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory, this study proposes a chain mediation model where technology integration self-efficacy (TISE) and knowledge sharing (KS) mediate the relationship between DL and DTIB. Using structural equation modeling to analyze data from 605 teachers in China, the findings show that DL positively influences DTIB. TISE and KS play significant mediating roles in this relationship. Specifically, DL enhances TISE, which fosters KS, ultimately driving DTIB and forming a chain mediation effect. These findings offer a novel theoretical perspective on teachers’ DTIB, viewed through the lens of resource flow.