The purpose of the article is to identify the internal and external factors for the development of innovative readiness of university teachers. The hypothesis is that there is a factor, ‘striving for self- development,’ which affects the level of development of innovative readiness of university teachers. Empirical research was carried out using the one-sample λ-Kolmogorov-Smirnov criterion, discriminant analysis, the linear regression method, and the method of principal components of factor analysis. and diagnostic methods. Assessments included the socio-psychological climate in a team, diagnostics of the level of self-development and professional-pedagogical activity, and a questionnaire on staff readiness for innovation. The study involved 2036 teachers from nine universities in Russia. The factors influencing the dynamics of development of innovative readiness of teachers (represented in the factor model) were identified as: the socio-psychological climate (an external factor), and striving for self-development (an internal factor). The data also show linear relationships between innovation readiness and the level of self-development, innovation readiness and the socio-psychological climate, the level of self-development and the socio-psychological climate.
The study identified a fairly favorable socio-psychological climate in all university pedagogical teams. This is considered to be a condition for self-development, self-realization and teacher self- improvement in innovation activities. The study of such indicators as the desire for self-development, emotional, motivational, cognitive, personal (instrumental), organizational readiness allowed us to determine the level of innovative readiness of the teaching staff we surveyed. We concluded that optimizing the socio-psychological climate in the teaching staff of higher educational institutions creates a favorable condition for the mobilizing the innovative potential of the university, the development of creative thinking, motivation for success, and flexibility of behavior in innovation. The results can be used by psychologists, teachers, heads of departments in the process of organizing, planning and implementing innovative technologies in the pedagogical practice of the university.