More than a Buffer: The Amplifying Role of Organizational Support in Translating Teacher Digital Literacy into Pedagogical Innovation

Educational leadership during digital transformation faces a critical dilemma: the imperative to drive pedagogical innovation versus the unintended consequence of intensified teacher workload imposed by digital tools. To address this sustainability challenge and transcend static, deficit-based perspectives, we draw on the Job Demands–Resources model to theorize and test a moderated mediation framework of how teacher digital literacy (TDL) translates into pedagogical innovation, with teacher workload as a mediator and perceived organizational support (POS) as a moderator. Data from 801 Chinese public primary and secondary school teachers were analyzed. Results identify that workload, rather than functioning merely as a hindrance, operates as a challenge demand arising from TDL that positively predicts innovation. More critically, POS functions as an amplifier, with the indirect effect being strongest for teachers with high POS. The model demonstrated robust explanatory power, accounting for a substantial proportion of the variance in pedagogical innovation. This study extends the JD-R model by identifying a novel “challenge-amplification” pathway and underscores the necessity of multi-level strategies, integrating cultural reframing, regulatory reform, and instrumental interoperability, to build resilient support ecosystems for sustainable educational innovation.