Teachers’ Job Demands and Innovative Work Behavior: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This systematic review examines the relationship between job demands and teachers’ innovative work behavior (IWB), addressing a gap in synthesizing empirical evidence within educational contexts. Grounded in the Job Demands-Resources model and related theories, it investigates direct and indirect pathways. A PRISMA-guided SLR identified 10 studies from Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCOhost. Findings reveal that challenging demands positively predict IWB, while hindering demands negatively affect it. Specially, Teacher-research conflict significantly undermines IWB, whereas time pressure’s impact remains inconclusive. However, excessively high demands of any type impair innovation. Three mechanisms emerged: stress and health damage, motivation and cognitive processing, and proactive reshaping. Organizational factors showed counterintuitive moderating effects. Theoretical gaps persist regarding demand interactions, resource buffering, and cultural specificity. The study underscores the need for context-sensitive frameworks and cross-cultural validation. Future research should integrate multidimensional demand assessments and test dynamic resource interactions to enhance predictive accuracy and practical relevance.