Probing into the Impact of EFL Teachers' Instructional Innovativeness on Student Engagement: A Predictive Moderated Model

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' instructional innovativeness on student engagement, with specific reference to behavioral and emotional aspects of engagement as perceived by the teachers. Given the ever-changing demands of contemporary education, this study underscores the importance of innovativeness and its influence on student engagement in L2 learning and teaching. The study adopted a cross-sectional design, utilizing a predictive moderated model, also assessing whether various teacher background variables such as educational status, gender, and field of graduation moderate the relationship between instructional innovativeness and student engagement. Data from 144 EFL teachers across Turkiye underwent analysis through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). It was shown that instructional innovativeness significantly predicts both behavioral and emotional student engagement. However, only educational status, particularly differences between BA and PhD degrees, was found to moderate the impact on behavioral engagement, with no significant moderating effects identified for emotional engagement. In conclusion, this study highlights the merit of cultivating and fostering a culture of innovation among ELT practitioners to benefit students.