A Preliminary Study on Teacher Interaction, Teaching Methods, and

the Development of Creativity in Early Childhood Within

the Framework of SDG 4

Mutia Afnida

, Gracia Mandira

, Harlina Ramelan

, Yosa Yulia Nasri

, Tisna Syafnita

and Ade Herdian Putra

Department of Early Childhood Education Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia

Department of Early Childhood Education Universitas Syiah Kuala, Indonesia

Department of Special Education, Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia

Department of Guidance and Counselling, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia

Keywords: Teaching Method, Teacher Instruction, Creativity, Sustainable Development, SDG 4.

Abstract: Education in the twenty-first century faces a dual imperative: enhancing teacher–student interaction and

fostering children’s creativity as a foundation for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). While

active teaching practices are widely promoted, many studies suggest they remain largely knowledge-oriented

and insufficiently aligned with creativity development or sustainability objectives. The novelty of this

research lies in the development of a structural model that positions children’s creative abilities not only as

an outcome, but also as a mediator linking teaching method, teacher instruction, and SDG achievement. Using

a quantitative design, the study applied Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) with

elementary school teachers in Padang, Indonesia. Five constructs were measured: teaching method, teacher

instruction, stimulation of children’s creativity, children’s creative abilities, and SDG 4 achievement. revealed

that teaching method significantly influences teacher instruction, but has no direct effect on creativity or

SDGs. Negative associations emerged between teacher instruction and children’s creative abilities and

between creativity stimulation and SDGs. Importantly, teaching method indirectly supports SDG 4 through

children’s creative abilities. These findings underscore creativity as a vital bridge between pedagogy and

sustainable development, while highlighting the need for less rigid instruction and stronger integration of

sustainability in teaching practices.

1 INTRODUCTION

Education in the twenty-first century faces a dual

challenge: strengthening teacher–student interaction

while simultaneously fostering children’s creativity

as a foundation for achieving Sustainable

Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). Although active

teaching methods have been shown to enhance

classroom interaction, their direct impact on

creativity and sustainability outcomes remains

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inconclusive. For example, Bullard & Bahar (2023)

highlights structural constraints in teaching practices

that tend to suppress creativity when instruction is

overly rigid. Similarly, at the global level, UNESCO

(2021) emphasizes the urgent need for a holistic

transformation of education, including creativity and

critical thinking as essential competencies for

advancing SDG 4.

Educational theories such as constructivism and

critical pedagogy support the idea that teacher

Afnida, M., Mandira, G., Ramelan, H., Nasri, Y. Y., Syafnita, T. and Putra, A. H.

A Preliminary Study on Teacher Interaction, Teaching Methods, and the Development of Creativity in Early Childhood Within the Framework of SDG 4.

DOI: 10.5220/0014047300004935

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Early Childhood Education (ICECE 2025) - Meaningful, Mindful, and Joyful Learning in Early Childhood Education, pages 5-16

ISBN: 978-989-758-788-7; ISSN: 3051-7702

instruction should not be limited to knowledge

transmission but should instead cultivate creativity

and reflective thinking. However, there is still a

limited body of empirical research that explicitly

links teaching methods, teacher instruction,

children’s creativity, and sustainable development

outcomes. In the Indonesian context, the integration

of sustainability values into teaching practices is still

at an early stage. A systematic literature review by

Druker-Ibáñez & Cáceres-Jensen (2022)found that

sustainability perspectives are rarely embedded into

local educational research, particularly in language

learning and pedagogy. This reveals a knowledge gap

between the urgent need for creativity-driven

education and its practical implementation in

classrooms.

The novelty of this study lies in the development

of a structural model connecting teaching method,

teacher instruction, stimulation of children’s

creativity, children’s creative abilities, and SDG 4

achievement. Unlike previous studies, this research

positions children’s creative abilities not merely as an

outcome but as a mediating mechanism that links

pedagogical practices with sustainable education

goals. This perspective offers a more systematic

understanding of how creativity can serve as a bridge

between everyday teaching and global sustainability

objectives.

The urgency of this research is underscored by the

approaching 2030 deadline for the SDGs, which calls

for more concrete contributions from education

systems. Strengthening teaching practices that

enhance creativity and critical skills is crucial for

preparing children to act as agents of sustainable

change. This study therefore seeks to provide

empirical evidence and practical insights for

educators, policymakers, and researchers in

designing teaching approaches that are not only

effective in instructional terms but also meaningful in

supporting global development goals.

The following are the 8 hypotheses proposed in this

study:

H1: There is a positive and significant correlation

between Teaching Method and Teacher

Instruction.

H2: There is a positive and significant correlation

between Teaching Method and Stimulation

Children Creativity.

H3: There is a positive and significant correlation

between Teaching Method and Childrens’

Creative Abilities.

H4: There is a positive and significant correlation

between Teaching Method and SDGs 4

Achievement.

H5: There is a positive and significant correlation

between Teacher Instruction and Stimulation

Children Creativity.

H6: There is a positive and significant correlation

between Teacher Instruction and Childrens’

Creative Abilities.

H7: There is a positive and significant correlation

between Teacher Instruction and SDGs 4

Achievement.

H8: There is a positive and significant correlation

between Stimulation Children Creativity and

Childrens’ Creative Abilities.

H9: There is a positive and significant correlation

between Stimulation Children Creativity and

SDGs 4 Achievement.

H10:Stimulation Children Creativity mediates the

correlation between Teaching Method and

Childrens’ Creative Abilities.

H11:Stimulation Children Creativity mediates the

correlation between Teacher Instruction and

Childrens’ Creative Abilities.

H12: Stimulation Children Creativity mediates the

correlation between Teaching Method and

SDGs 4 Achievement.

Figure 1: Conceptual Model.

ICECE 2025 - The International Conference on Early Childhood Education

H13: Stimulation Children Creativity mediates the

correlation between Teacher Instruction and

SDGs 4 Achievement.

H14: Childrens’ Creative Abilities mediates the

correlation between Teaching Method and

SDGs 4 Achievement.

H15:Childrens’ Creative Abilities mediates the

correlation between Teacher Instruction and

SDGs 4 Achievement.

H16:Childrens’ Creative Abilities mediates the

correlation between Stimulation Children

Creativity and SDGs 4 Achievement.

2 METHOD

This study employed a quantitative approach using

Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling

(PLS-SEM) to analyze the structural relationships

among Teaching Method, Teacher Interaction,

Variety of Teaching Methods, Stimulation of

Children’s Creativity, SDG 4 Achievement, and

Children’s Creative Abilities. Data were collected

through questionnaires administered to teachers and

classroom observations of children’s behavior to

assess their creative abilities.

A quantitative approach was chosen because it is

particularly suitable for confirmatory research, which

aims to test theoretical models using empirical data

and to evaluate hypotheses that have been explicitly

formulated (Hair et al., 2019). Accordingly, the

research design adopted was PLS-SEM.

PLS-SEM is a multivariate analysis technique

widely applied in social science and educational

research because it is capable of examining complex

causal relationships among latent constructs, even in

large models or when the data do not meet the

assumption of normal distribution (Hair et al., 2021).

In this study, PLS-SEM was used to validate the

conceptual model linking Teaching Method, Teacher

Interaction, Variety of Teaching Methods,

Stimulation of Children’s Creativity, SDG 4

Achievement, and Children’s Creative Abilities. This

design provides a robust analytical framework to

empirically test the hypothesized relationships and to

confirm the theoretical model supported by previous

literature.

2.1 Population and Sample

The population of this study consisted of all

kindergartens in Padang City, totaling 335

institutions, comprising 5 public and 330 private

kindergartens, based on official data from the

Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and

Technology of the Republic of Indonesia

(https://referensi.data.kemendikdasmen.go.id/pendid

ikan/paud/086100/2/jf/1/s2).

The sampling technique employed was stratified

sampling to ensure proportional representation from

each district in Padang City. From this population, a

total of 200 teachers and 200 children. The teachers

represented both public and private kindergartens

across all districts of Padang, while the children were

randomly chosen from selected classes and were

within the age range of 5–6 years.

Based on the demographic analysis of

respondents, this study involved teachers from

various types of schools and administrative regions.

The majority of respondents were teachers from

private schools (90%), while only a small proportion

came from public schools (10%). This indicates that

the sample was dominated by private school

educators, reflecting the prevalence of private

institutions in the study area.

In terms of teaching experience, most respondents

had worked for more than ten years (64.5%),

suggesting that the sample largely consisted of senior

teachers with substantial professional experience.

Teachers with shorter experience were less

represented, with 14% having 1–3 years, 12% having

7–9 years, 6.5% with 3–5 years, and only 3% with 5–

7 years of service. This distribution highlights that the

majority of participants were highly experienced,

while novice teachers formed a relatively small

segment of the sample.

The distribution of school locations also shows

considerable diversity. The largest groups of teachers

were concentrated in Padang Utara (20.5%), Koto

Tangah (19.5%), and Lubuk Begalung (16.5%).

Several other districts, such as Padang Timur

(12.5%), Padang Barat (5.5%), Padang Selatan (7%),

Nanggalo (5%), Bungus Teluk Kabung (3.5%),

Lubuk Kilangan (3.5%), and Pauh (2.5%),

contributed smaller proportions. Kuraji accounted for

4%. This spread indicates that the research covered a

wide geographic area, though the concentration of

respondents was higher in certain regions compared

to others.

In sum, the demographic profile shows that the

sample was largely composed of experienced

teachers from private schools, distributed across a

wide range of geographical areas in Padang. This

composition offers a comprehensive overview of the

respondents’ background and provides a solid basis

for interpreting the subsequent findings within the

specific educational context of the study.

A Preliminary Study on Teacher Interaction, Teaching Methods, and the Development of Creativity in Early Childhood Within the

Framework of SDG 4

Table 1: Demographics of Research Respondents.

Demographic Categories Sub-Categor

Total Percentage

Teachers Public School 20 10%

Private School 180 90%

Teaching experience 1-3

ears 28 14%

3-5

ears 13 6.5%

5-7 years 6 3%

7-9 years 24 12%

>10 years 129 64.5%

School Location Bun

us Teluk Kabun

7 3.5%

Koto Tan

ah 39 19.5%

Kuran

i 8 4.0%

Lubuk Begalung 33 16.5%

Lubuk Kilangan 7 3.5%

Nan

alo 10 5.0%

Padan

Barat 11 5.5%

Padan

Selatan 4 7%

Padang Timu

25 12.5%

Padang Utara 41 20.5%

Pauh 5 2.5%

Source: Field Data (2025)

2.2 Research Instrument

The instruments used in this study consisted of five

measurement scales designed to assess the variables

of Teaching Method, Teacher Interaction, Variety of

Teaching Methods, Stimulation of Children’s

Creativity, Creative Abilities, and SDG 4

Achievement. The selection of instruments was based

on their relevance to the research constructs and on

previous studies that had demonstrated their validity

and reliability.

The adaptation process was adjusted to the

context of early childhood education in Padang City,

following recent international guidelines on the

translation and cross-cultural adaptation of

measurement instruments, as recommended by

Cruchinho et al. (2024). These guidelines emphasize

the importance of a structured procedure, including

forward–backward translation, expert panel review,

and pilot testing, in order to ensure conceptual,

linguistic, and cultural equivalence across all

constructs measured.

2.2.1 Teacher Questionnaire

In the teacher questionnaire, two latent variables were

measured, namely Teaching Method (TM) and

Teacher Interaction (TI), using a five-point Likert

scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree).

The items were developed based on a review of the

literature and validated by six experts in the field.

2.2.2 Observation of Children’s Creative

Abilities

In this study, children’s creative abilities were

assessed through systematic observation of their

behaviors during classroom learning activities. The

dimensions of creativity evaluated encompassed

novelty, flexibility, elaboration, and persistence.

Observations were carried out within the natural

classroom setting to preserve ecological validity and

to minimize potential sources of bias.

To ensure the validity and reliability of the

constructs prior to the main analysis, the study

assessed convergent validity and internal consistency

reliability for all constructs in the model. The results

indicated that all constructs met the required criteria.

The average loading factor values for all

constructs were above 0.7, demonstrating that the

indicators used were valid in measuring their

respective constructs. Both Cronbach’s Alpha and

Composite Reliability (CR) values exceeded the

minimum threshold of 0.7, indicating that the

research instrument was reliable and consistent in

measuring the variables under study. In addition, the

Average Variance Extracted (AVE) values for each

construct were greater than 0.5, showing that more

than 50% of the variance in the indicators was

explained by the construct they represented.

Accordingly, all constructs—including Children’s

Creative Abilities, SDG 4 Achievement, Stimulation

of Children’s Creativity, Teacher Instruction, and

Teaching Method—were confirmed to be valid and

reliable, and thus appropriate for use in the

ICECE 2025 - The International Conference on Early Childhood Education

subsequent structural model analysis using PLS-

SEM. The detailed results of the construct validity

and reliability tests are presented in Table 3.

All questionnaire items were assessed using a

five-point Likert scale. For the constructs of Teaching

Method, Teacher Interaction, Stimulation of

Children’s Creativity, Variety of Teaching Methods,

and Creative Abilities, participants evaluated the

frequency of the observed behaviors on a scale

ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always).

In contrast, the SDGs 4 Achievement construct

was measured using a scale from 1 (strongly disagree)

to 5 (strongly agree). In this measurement framework,

higher scores across these constructs reflect a greater

intensity or prevalence of the respective attributes as

perceived by the respondents.

2.3 Data Collection Procedure

Data were collected between June and August 2025.

The teacher questionnaires were distributed directly

to schools using a Google Form, while children’s

creativity was observed by trained enumerators who

monitored classroom learning activities.

2.4 Data Analysis

Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares

Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with the

latest version of SmartPLS. This method was chosen

because it is well suited for confirmatory research that

examines complex causal relationships among latent

constructs, can handle non-normal data, and is

Table 2: Research Instruments.

Instruments Indicators N of items Sam

Teaching Method Learnin

roach 18 Teacher

Teaching Strategies and Techniques

Active Involvement of Children

Utilization of Learning Resources

Providin

Freedom and Ex

loration

Consistenc

and Clarit

of Ste

Teacher Interaction Reciprocal communication 18

Teacher

Feedback provision

Emotional scaffolding / Affective support

Fre

uenc

and intensit

ositive en

ement

uitable role distribution

Instructional res

onsiveness

Stimulation of Children

Creativity

Originality Stimulation 12 Teacher

Flexibility Stimulation

Exploration Stimulation

Elaboration Stimulation

Creative Abilities Ori

inalit

12 Children

Flexibilit

Elaboration

Persistence

SDGs 4 Achievement Availabilit

of facilities and infrastructure 10 School

Non-discriminator

acce

tance

Source: Field Data (2025)

Table 3: Construct Reliability and Validity Results.

Construct

Average

Loadin

Facto

Decision

Cronbach's

Decision

Composite

Reliabilit

(

)

Outer

T-statistic

Decision

Children Creative

Abilities

0.781 Valid 0.790 Reliable 0.862 AVE (0.610) Valid

SDGs 4

Achievement

0.867 Valid 0.715 Reliable 0.862 AVE (0.759) Valid

Stimulation of

Children’s Creativit

0.812 Valid 0.832 Reliable 0.886 AVE (0.661) Valid

Teacher Interaction 0.825 Vali

0.895 Reliable 0.919 AVE (0.656) Vali

Teaching Metho

0.834 Vali

0.912 Reliable 0.932 AVE (0.696) Vali

Source: Field Data (2025)

A Preliminary Study on Teacher Interaction, Teaching Methods, and the Development of Creativity in Early Childhood Within the

Framework of SDG 4

appropriate for large samples (Ali et al., 2018). The

analysis involved two main stages: evaluation of the

outer model (convergent validity, discriminant

validity, and reliability) and the inner model

(hypothesis testing, path coefficients, t-statistics, p-

values, and R-square), in order to assess theoretical

validity, the strength of relationships, and the

predictive power of the model.

The evaluation of model fit indicated that the

research model showed an adequate level of

alignment with the empirical data. The SRMR value

was 0.054 for the saturated model and 0.055 for the

estimated model, both below the threshold of 0.08,

which indicates a good fit. The NFI index also

demonstrated satisfactory results, with values of

0.862 for the saturated model and 0.861 for the

estimated model, exceeding the minimum standard of

0.80 and confirming that the model achieved an

acceptable level of fit. Furthermore, the d_G and

d_ULS values were relatively consistent between the

saturated and estimated models, suggesting that the

model possessed good stability in its estimations.

The comparison of Chi-square values (487.318

for the saturated model and 488.750 for the estimated

model) also showed only a very small difference,

reinforcing that the model used was consistent with

the structure of the data analyzed. Taken together,

these results indicate that the structural model

developed in this study can be considered appropriate

and feasible for use in testing the research hypotheses.

Table 4: Model Fit.

Model Fit Criteria Saturated Model Estimated Model

SRMR 0.054 0.055

NFI 0.862 0.861

d_G 0.275 0.276

d_ULS 0.735 0.755

Chi-square 487.318 488.750

Source: Field Data (2025)

3 RESULT

3.1 Outer Model

The evaluation of the outer model aimed to assess the

quality of the measurement model by examining the

reliability and validity of the indicators for each

construct. This evaluation included tests of

convergent validity, discriminant validity, and

internal consistency reliability.

The results of the PLS-SEM analysis showed that

all indicator loadings exceeded the threshold of 0.70,

indicating that each item strongly represented its

corresponding latent construct. The Average

Variance Extracted (AVE) values for all constructs

were also above 0.50, confirming adequate

convergent validity.

The structural model presented revealed that only

a subset of the hypothesized paths between constructs

was statistically significant. In particular, the

relationships between Teaching Method and Teacher

Instruction, Teacher Instruction and Children’s

Figure 2: Measurement Model Evaluation.

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Table 5: Loading Factor Value.

Teaching

Method (TM)

Teacher

Interaction (TI)

Stimulation Childrens’

Creativity (SCC)

Children Creative

Abilities (CCA)

SDGs 4 Achievement

(SDGs)

TM1

815

TM2 0.858

TM3 0.842

TM4 0.817

TM5 0.804

TM6 0.868

TI1 0.848

TI2 0.834

TI3 0.839

TI4 0.829

TI5 0.719

TI6 0.783

SCC1 0.809

SCC2 0.836

SCC3 0.793

SCC4 0.812

CCA1 0.784

CCA2 0.799

CCA3 0.759

CCA4 0.782

SDGs1 0.780

SDGs2 0.954

Source: Field Data (2025)

Creative Abilities, and Children’s Creative Abilities

and SDG 4 Achievement were found to be significant,

suggesting that these variables play a crucial role in

explaining the overall research model.

The path coefficients presented in the model

indicate both the direction and strength of the

relationships. Teaching Method exerted a strong

influence on Teacher Instruction, Teacher Instruction

contributed positively to Children’s Creative

Abilities, while Children’s Creative Abilities, in

contrast, showed a negative effect on SDG 4

Achievement. These findings provide an important

basis for further interpretation, suggesting that

although teaching methods and teacher instruction

can enhance children’s creativity, translating that

creativity into outcomes aligned with the SDGs

requires the presence of additional supporting factors

3.1.1 Convergent Validity

The convergent validity test was conducted to

evaluate the extent to which indicators of a construct

measure the same concept and are highly correlated.

According to (Hair et al., 2020) and Sarstedt et al.

(2020), convergent validity is established when: 1)All

outer loadings are ≥ 0.70; 2)The Average Variance

Extracted (AVE) is ≥ 0.50. The results of the

convergent validity assessment are presented in table

Based on the results of the convergent validity test

presented in Table 5, all indicators had loading factor

values above 0.70, indicating that each item was able

to represent its respective construct effectively. These

high loading factor values suggest that the indicators

in this model met the criteria for convergent validity.

Therefore, all constructs can be considered

convergently valid and are appropriate to proceed to

the next stage of testing, namely discriminant validity

and construct reliability.

3.1.2 Discriminant Validity

The convergent validity test was conducted to

evaluate the extent to which indicators of a construct

measure the same concept and are highly correlated.

Table 6 shows that the diagonal values (in bold),

representing the square roots of the AVE for each

construct, are higher than the correlations between

constructs in the corresponding rows and columns.

This indicates that each construct in the model

possesses an adequate level of distinctiveness and

does not measure the same concept as the other

constructs. Therefore, the discriminant validity of the

model can be considered empirically established and

consistent with the criteria recommended by Sarstedt

et al. (2020).

A Preliminary Study on Teacher Interaction, Teaching Methods, and the Development of Creativity in Early Childhood Within the

Framework of SDG 4

Table 6: Discriminant Validity Evaluation (Fornell–Larcker Criterion).

Teaching

Method

(

)

Teacher

Interaction

(

)

Stimulation Childrens’

Creativit

(

SCC

)

Children Creative

Abilities

(

CCA

)

SDGs 4 Achie-

vement

(

SDGs

)

Teaching Method (TM) 0.834

Teacher Interaction

(

)

0.800 0.810

Stimulation Childrens’

Creativit

(

SCC

)

-0.100 -0.099 0.813

SDGs 4 Achievement

(SDGs)

-0.070 -0.049 0.088 0.871

Children Creative

Abilities

(

CCA

)

0.089 0.151 -0.036 -0.151 0.781

Source: Field Data (2025)

3.1.3 Reliability

After establishing construct validity, the next step

was to evaluate the internal reliability of each

construct. Reliability was used to assess the

consistency of the indicators in representing their

intended constructs.

Referring to Sarstedt et al. (2020), internal

reliability can be evaluated using three main

indicators: Cronbach’s Alpha, composite reliability

(rho_a and rho_c), and average variance extracted

(AVE). Cronbach’s Alpha and composite reliability

are considered adequate when their values exceed

0.70, while AVE is deemed acceptable for validity

when it is greater than 0.50.

The discriminant validity test using the Fornell–

Larcker criterion shows that the AVE square root

(diagonal) for each construct is consistently higher

than its correlations with other constructs. For

instance, Teaching Method (0.834) and Teacher

Interaction (0.810) both exceed their inter-construct

correlations, as do SCC (0.813), CCA (0.781), and

SDGs (0.871).

These findings confirm that the constructs in the

model are distinct and valid, meaning each construct

captures its own indicators more effectively than it

overlaps with others. In short, the discriminant

validity requirement is fulfilled, and the model is

considered reliable for further analysis (Benitez et al.,

2020).

Based on Table 7, all constructs in this study

demonstrated excellent values for Cronbach’s Alpha

and Composite Reliability, both exceeding the

minimum threshold of 0.70 (Ali et al., 2018; Hair et

al., 2019). This indicates that each construct

possesses a high level of internal consistency in

measuring the intended concept.

In addition, the Average Variance Extracted

(AVE) values for all constructs were above the cut-

off point of 0.50, meaning that a substantial

proportion of the variance in the indicators was

explained by their respective latent constructs. These

findings confirm that each indicator was able to

meaningfully reflect its corresponding construct.

Therefore, it can be concluded that all constructs

in the research model met the criteria for strong

reliability and convergent validity, ensuring that the

model results are credible, stable, and suitable for

further testing in the structural analysis stage.

3.2 Inner Model

After the outer model evaluation produced

satisfactory results, the next stage was to assess the

inner model, or structural model, in order to evaluate

the strength of the relationships among latent

constructs and to test the research hypotheses. This

analysis involved examining path coefficients,

statistical significance (t-values and p-values)

through bootstrapping, and the coefficient of

determination (R²) for each endogenous construct to

assess the predictive accuracy of the model.

The purpose of the inner model assessment was to

determine the extent to which the independent

variables could explain the dependent variables in the

model and to verify the theoretically proposed causal

relationships (Hair et al., 2020). In addition, the

analysis also considered potential mediation and

moderation effects to identify intermediary or

reinforcing roles among variables within the complex

model structure. Furthermore, the adequacy of model

fit was evaluated using global fit indices such as the

Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR)

and the Normed Fit Index (NFI) (Benitez et al., 2020).

3.2.1 Hypothesis Testing

Hypothesis testing in this study was conducted by

examining the path coefficients, t-statistics, and p-

values for each hypothesized relationship between the

latent constructs. A hypothesis was considered

statistically significant if the t-statistic was ≥ 1.96 and

ICECE 2025 - The International Conference on Early Childhood Education

the p-value ≤ 0.05 at the 95% confidence level (Hair

et al., 2020). The path coefficients indicate the

magnitude and direction of the relationships, while

the t-statistics and p-values were used to determine

statistical significance and the generalizability of the

findings. The results of the hypothesis testing are

summarized in Table 8.

Table 7: Construct Reliability.

Cronbach’s

alpha

Composite reliability

(rho_a)

Composite reliability

(rho_c)

Average variance

extracted (AVE)

Teachin

Method

(

)

0.912 0.915 0.932 0.696

Teacher Interaction

(

)

0.895 0.900 0.919 0.656

Stimulation Childrens’ Creativity

(

SCC

)

0.832 0.846 0.886 0.661

Children Creative Abilities

(CCA)

0.790 0.802 0.862 0.610

SDGs 4 Achievement

(

SDGs

)

0.715 0.998 0.862 0.759

Source: Field Data (2025)

Table 8: Results of Hypothesis Testing and Structural Relationships.

Hypo-

thesis

Path

Original

Sample (O)

Sample

Mean (M)

Standard

Error

t-Statistic p-Value Decision

Direct Effect

Teaching Method → Teacher

Interaction

0.800 0.802 0.022 36.639 0.000 Accepted

Teaching Method → Stimulation

Children Creativit

-0.057 -0.053 0.120 0.473 0.636

Rejected

Teaching Method → Children’s

Creative Abilities

-0.091 -0.093 0.102 0.891 0.373

Rejected

Teaching Method → SDGs 4

Achievement

-0.097 -0.097 0.108 0.895 0.371

Rejected

Teacher Interaction →

Stimulation of Children’s

Creativit

-0.054 -0.064 0.117 0.462 0.644

Rejected

Teacher Instruction → Children’s

Creative Abilities

-0.190 0.227 0.097 2.288 0.022 Accepted

Teacher Instruction → SDGs 4

Achievement

0.051 0.053 0.120 0.421 0.673

Rejected

Stimulation Children Creativity

→ Children’s Creative Abilities

-0.023 -0.020 0.089 0.261 0.794

Rejected

Stimulation Children Creativity →

SDGs 4 Achievement

-0.150 -0.153 0.070 2.133 0.033 Accepted

Modiatin

Effect

H10

TM → SCC → CCA (Mediating)

0.001 0.001 0.011 0.121 0.904 Re

ecte

H11

TI → SCC → CCA (Mediating)

0.001 0.002 0.011 0.110 0.912 Rejecte

H12

TM → SCC → SDGs (Mediating)

-0.043 -0.051 0.094 0.460 0.645 Rejecte

H13

TI → SCC → SDGs (Mediating)

-0.033 -0.035 0.023 1.465 0.143 Rejecte

H14

TM → CCA → SDGs

(

Mediatin

0.178 0.182 0.078 2.277 0.023 Accepted

H15

TI → CCA → SDGs (Mediating)

0.014 0.014 0.018 0.757 0.449 Re

ecte

H16

SCC → CCA → SDGs

(

Mediatin

-0.000 -0.000 0.001 0.105 0.916 Rejected

Notes:

● p < 0.10 (), p < 0.05 (), p < 0.01 ().

● Hypothesis is supported if t-statistic ≥ 1.96 at 5% significance level.

Source: Field Data (2025)

A Preliminary Study on Teacher Interaction, Teaching Methods, and the Development of Creativity in Early Childhood Within the

Framework of SDG 4

Table 8 shows that most of the proposed hypotheses

were not supported, with only a few significant paths

identified. The significant relationships include

Teaching Method → Teacher Instruction (H1), Teacher

Instruction → Children’s Creative Abilities (H6),

Stimulation Children Creativity → SDGs 4

Achievement (H9), as well as the mediating pathway

Teaching Method → Children’s Creative Abilities →

SDGs 4 Achievement (H14).

Meanwhile, the majority of both direct and

indirect paths were rejected as they did not meet the

required significance level. These findings provide

empirical evidence that Teacher Instruction plays a

crucial role in enhancing Children’s Creative

Abilities, which in turn influences the achievement of

SDGs 4, albeit in a negative direction. Furthermore,

the results demonstrate that Teaching Method exerts

a strong indirect influence on SDGs through the

mediating role of children’s creativity.

3.2.2 R-Square

In addition to examining the significance of the

relationships among constructs, the PLS-SEM

analysis also assessed the model’s predictive power

for the endogenous variables through the R-Square

(R²) values. R² reflects the proportion of variance in a

dependent construct that can be explained by the

independent constructs within the model. An R² value

of 0.75 is considered substantial, 0.50 is viewed as

moderate, and 0.25 is regarded as weak, depending on

the context of the research discipline (Ali et al., 2018;

Hair et al., 2019).

Table 9: R-square Value.

Konstruk Endogen R-Square

Adjusted

R-S

uare

Children Creative

Abilities

0.026 0.017

SDGs 4 Achievement 0.027 0.017

Stimulation Children

Creativit

0.011 0.004

Teacher INteraction 0.640 0.639

Source: Field Data (2025)

Table 9 indicates that the explanatory power of the

model varies considerably across constructs. The

highest R² value is found in Teacher Interaction (R² =

0.640; Adjusted R² = 0.639), suggesting that more

than 60% of the variance in teacher–student

interaction can be explained by the predictors

included in the model. This result reflects strong

predictive power and highlights Teacher Interaction

as a central construct within the framework.

In contrast, the R² values for Children Creative

Abilities (0.026), SDGs 4 Achievement (0.027), and

Stimulation of Children’s Creativity (0.011) are

notably low, indicating that the predictors account for

only a very small proportion of the variance in these

constructs. These findings imply that additional

factors, not captured in the current model, may play a

more substantial role in explaining creativity-related

outcomes and SDG achievements.

Overall, the results demonstrate that while the

model explains Teacher Interaction effectively, its

predictive ability for creativity and achievement-

related constructs remains limited. This suggests the

need for model refinement, possibly through the

inclusion of other mediating or moderating variables,

to better capture the dynamics underlying children’s

creativity and educational outcomes.

4 DISCUSSION

The results of this study revealed that teaching

method has a strong and significant effect on teacher

instruction (H1). This finding underscores the

importance of pedagogical strategies in shaping the

quality of classroom interaction. When teachers

employ active and student-centered methods, they

tend to be more engaged in reciprocal

communication, feedback provision, and

instructional responsiveness. Active methodologies

significantly enhance both teacher-student

engagement and the integration of sustainability

values in learning (Crisol-Moya et al., 2020; Tang,

2023; L. Zhang et al., 2021). This suggests that

teaching approaches do not merely transfer

knowledge but also determine how effectively

teachers can interact with learners.

Interestingly, the direct effects of teaching method

on the stimulation of children’s creativity, children’s

creative abilities, and SDGs achievement (H2–H4)

were not supported. This indicates that teaching

methods alone are insufficient to directly foster

creativity or sustainable development competencies.

Rather, their influence is more indirect, requiring

mediating mechanisms. This aligns with the

argument of Beghetto & Kaufman (2014), who

emphasized that creativity development is contingent

not only on teaching practices but also on the broader

classroom climate, emotional support, and

opportunities for exploration. Hence, the lack of

direct influence found in this study may reflect the

limited focus of teaching practices that still prioritize

knowledge transmission over creativity-oriented

learning.

ICECE 2025 - The International Conference on Early Childhood Education

Another surprising finding lies in the relationship

between teacher instruction and children’s creative

abilities (H6), which was found to be significant but

negative. In other words, the more intensive the

instruction, the lower the creative abilities of children.

This resonates with Hennessey, (2019) classic theory

of creativity, which suggests that controlling or

overly directive environments undermine intrinsic

motivation and creative performance. Recent studies

reinforce this perspective; for example, Zhang et al.

(2023) reported that children’s creativity flourishes

when they experience supportive peer relationships

and a sense of belonging in the classroom, rather than

strict instructional control. Thus, the negative effect

observed in this study highlights the potential risks of

rigid teacher instruction that limits children’s

autonomy.

Furthermore, the effect of stimulation of

children’s creativity on SDGs achievement (H9) was

also significant but negative. This unexpected

outcome suggests that excessive or poorly targeted

stimulation may distract from broader sustainable

development goals. As López et al., (2024) argue in

their systematic review, creativity in education

contributes positively to sustainability only when it is

contextually integrated and aligned with ecosocial

perspectives. Without such alignment, creative

activities may remain isolated and fail to translate into

meaningful contributions toward sustainability

outcomes.

Regarding the mediation hypotheses, most

pathways through stimulation of creativity (H10–

H13) and children’s creative abilities (H15–H16)

were not significant. However, one important

mediating effect was confirmed: teaching method

influences SDGs achievement through children’s

creative abilities (H14). This finding positions of

creativity as a crucial bridge between pedagogy and

sustainability. It also supports UNESCO’s (2021)

framework, which highlights creativity and

innovation as central competencies for sustainable

development. Recent studies echo this, showing that

problem-solving pedagogies and creative risk-taking

in classrooms foster both individual growth and

collective contributions to global goals (Creely et al.,

2021; Fischer et al., 2022; Henriksen et al., 2021).

Taken together, the findings suggest that while

teaching methods play a pivotal role in shaping

teacher instruction, their contribution to creativity

and sustainability is indirect and contingent upon how

creativity is cultivated within the classroom. Overly

rigid instruction can stifle creativity, while

unstructured stimulation may fail to support

sustainability. The most promising pathway, as

demonstrated in this study, lies in empowering

children’s creative abilities as mediators linking

teaching practices to sustainable educational

outcomes. This insight resonates with a growing body

of literature emphasizing the need for integrative

pedagogies that balance structure with autonomy and

align creative development with the broader aims of

sustainable development.

5 CONCLUSIONS

This study examined the complex relationships

between teaching method, teacher instruction,

children’s creativity, and the achievement of SDG 4,

and the findings offer several important insights. The

results confirm that teaching method plays a decisive

role in strengthening teacher instruction, yet its direct

impact on creativity and sustainability outcomes was

limited, suggesting that pedagogy influences these

aspects mainly through indirect pathways.

Notably, the study revealed that intensive teacher

instruction can negatively affect children’s creative

abilities, while excessive or unfocused stimulation of

creativity may even reduce progress toward SDG 4,

highlighting the need for more balanced and

contextually integrated approaches. At the same time,

the mediation analysis demonstrated that teaching

methods can contribute positively to SDGs 4

achievement when they enhance children’s creative

abilities, positioning creativity as a vital bridge

between classroom practice and sustainable

development.

These findings imply that educational strategies

should move beyond rigid instruction and prioritize

learning environments that cultivate autonomy,

exploration, and problem-solving skills, as these

elements are central to preparing students for future

challenges.

For future research, it is essential to broaden the

model by including variables such as school climate,

peer collaboration, digital pedagogy, and socio-

emotional support, as well as adopting longitudinal or

qualitative approaches to capture how creativity and

sustainability evolve over time, thereby generating a

deeper and more comprehensive understanding of

how pedagogy can effectively support sustainable

education.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank Lembaga Penelitian

dan Pengabdian Masyarakat Universitas Negeri

A Preliminary Study on Teacher Interaction, Teaching Methods, and the Development of Creativity in Early Childhood Within the

Framework of SDG 4

Padang for funding this work with a contract number:

1789/UN35.15/LT/2025.

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