A Study of Creative Teaching and Technological Creativity Using Hierarchical Linear Models

Introduction: One of the sports community's current issues that deserves more academic attention and development is how athletic coaches can use creative teaching methods to engage their trainees in various ways of thinking with regard to technological creativity to help distinguish them, technologically, from other athletes, thus enhancing their performance in athletic events. Accordingly, this study aims to explore how creative teaching and self-efficacy impact technological creativity among athletes, as well as to understand the role of creative teaching as a moderator between self-efficacy and technological creativity. Methodology: This study selects a number of coaches and athletes from various sports teams as respondents to a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire is comprised of items on creative coaching, athletes' technological creativity, and athletes' self-efficacy. We collect a total of 230 valid responses: 30 from coaches, and 200 from athletes in various athletic disciplines in university and high school teams. The collected data is analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling. Results: 1. We find significant differences in technological creativity among athletes from different team sports. 2. We also find significant correlations between athletes' self-efficacy and technological creativity. 3. Coaches' creative teaching has a significant effect on athletes' technological creativity. 4. Coaches' creative teaching has no moderating effect on the relationship between athletes' self-efficacy and technological creativity. Conclusion: Athletes with higher self-efficacy are more capable of demonstrating their technological creativity in their athletic performance. With regard to the apparent failure of creative teaching to produce a positive effect on technological creativity, it may be argued that the concept and application of creative coaching in Taiwan's athletic disciplines have not reached maturity, with most coaches lacking sufficient command of creative teaching to provide athletes with effective instruction. Overall, this study indicates that the quality of creative teaching has no impact on the self-efficacy and technological creativity of athletes in Taiwan. While creative teaching is not an important factor in this work, athletes' self-efficacy is a crucial factor with regard to enhancing technological creativity.