Promoting Teaching Innovation among University Teachers through AI Literacy from the Perspective of Planned Behavior: The Moderating Effects of Three Perceived Supports

Yuping Zhao^1*Ling Huang^2*

• ¹Communication University of China, Beijing, China
• ²Yunnan University, Kunming, China

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) is profoundly reshaping the landscape of higher education. However, the mechanisms through which AI literacy influences teaching innovation among university teachers remain insufficiently explored. This study, grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), examines how AI literacy promotes teaching innovation through three psychological mechanisms: behavioral attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. The study also considers the moderating effects of perceived support factors—teaching resources, peer support, and teaching autonomy—on the relationship between AI literacy and teaching innovation. Using empirical survey data from Chinese university teachers, the results reveal that AI literacy significantly enhances teachers' behavioral attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, thereby fostering teaching innovation. Notably, perceived behavioral control plays the most significant role in driving innovative behavior. Furthermore, teaching resources and teaching autonomy positively moderate the relationship between AI literacy and teaching innovation, while peer support significantly influences behavioral attitudes only. These findings extend the application of the Theory of Planned Behavior, uncovering the psychological mechanisms through which AI literacy fosters teaching innovation, and provide empirical evidence for AI literacy training and teacher support in higher education.