Exploring the associations between multicultural experience and creative teaching: the potential roles of cultural intelligence and fear of failure

Drawing on Social Learning Theory and Cultural Intelligence Theory, this study explores how multicultural experiences are associated with creative teaching and how cultural intelligence and fear of failure may play a role in shaping this relationship. Data were collected from 334 lecturers using an online questionnaire, and the hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM. The results show that multicultural experience is positively associated with creative teaching, with cultural intelligence appearing to function as a mediating variable and fear of failure being observed to moderate the relationship. Specifically, the study finds that higher levels of fear of failure are associated with a weaker positive relationship between multicultural experience and cultural intelligence on creative teaching. The study contributes to the literature by integrating both social learning and cultural intelligence perspectives, suggesting that cultural intelligence may serve as a mechanism linking multicultural exposure to creative teaching. Additionally, it provides insights into psychological factors, such as fear of failure that may relate to creative teaching efforts. Theoretical implications include extending the understanding of potential pathways through which multicultural experiences and cultural intelligence may relate to teaching, while practical implications point to the value of supporting educators and institutions should focus on enhancing multicultural experience and cultural intelligence, as well as addressing psychological barriers to foster creative teaching.