Against the backdrop of deepening basic education reform and a core competencies-oriented education model, effectively stimulating and fostering innovative behavior among elementary school students has become a key issue in classroom instruction transformation. Mixed-age club classes, as an educational organizational model, provide a unique context for exploring this topic. However, existing research lacks empirical validation regarding the specific guiding role of club goals and the underlying pathways through which knowledge sharing influences innovative behavior. To address this gap, this study employed a questionnaire survey with 177 elementary students participating in mixed-age information technology clubs. Structural equation modeling (SEM) combined with the Bootstrap method was used to test mediating effects. Results revealed: 1) Club goals positively correlated with innovative behavior; 2) Knowledge collecting showed a significant positive correlation with innovative behavior, whereas the correlation involving knowledge donating was not statistically significant. 3) Knowledge sharing mediated the relationship between club goals and innovative behavior.
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