Influence of School Culture on Teacher Innovation in Primary Schools in Enugu State

This study investigates the influence of school organisational culture on teacher innovative behaviour in public primary schools in Enugu State, South East Nigeria. Teacher innovation, encompassing the generation and application of new instructional ideas and approaches, is a critical driver of educational quality improvement, yet the cultural conditions that support or inhibit it in Nigerian primary schools are poorly understood. The study employs a cross-sectional survey design, engaging 360 primary school teachers from 18 schools across Enugu North, Nkanu East, and Igbo-Eze North local government areas. Data were collected using the Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (adapted) and a Teacher Innovative Behaviour Scale validated through confirmatory factor analysis. Structural equation modelling examined the mediation of psychological safety between school culture and innovation. The study draws on Schein's Organisational Culture Theory and the Innovative Work Behaviour Model. School culture dimensions including collaboration norms, leadership support, risk tolerance, and continuous learning climate were assessed. Findings are anticipated to reveal that psychological safety fully mediates the relationship between collaborative school culture and teacher innovation, while top-down authority cultures suppress innovative behaviour. The study also examines gender and teacher qualification differences in innovation orientation. Recommendations target the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board on building school cultures that reward experimentation and collaborative professional learning. Keywords: school culture, teacher innovation, primary schools, Enugu State, organisational behaviour