Work

The Path From Digital Competence to Adaptive Use: An Empirical Analysis of 9,726 Primary and Secondary School Teachers

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: While digital competence is widely acknowledged as fundamental to educational transformation, the mechanisms impeding its translation into innovative teaching practices remain inadequately understood. This study investigates teachers’ adaptive use of digital tools, characterized by exploratory adaptation and innovative application behaviors. By developing a multiple mediation model incorporating four key constructs: educational contextual norms (ECN), digital tool structure (DTS), technology adoption intention (TAI), and perceived usefulness (PU), this study illuminates the transformation pathway from digital competence to adaptive use. Analysis of data from 9,726 primary and secondary school teachers reveals three transformation pathways: an intrinsically driven pathway relying on internal motivation, an extrinsically driven pathway dependent on external norms, and a multi-driven path demonstrating significant sequential mediation through ECN → DTS → PU. Findings indicate that digital competence facilitates innovation indirectly through a progressive process of interpreting contextual norms, selecting appropriate tools, and developing value recognition, thereby providing insights for fostering teachers’ digital innovation practices in educational settings.

Source: International Journal of Chinese Education

DOI: 10.1177/2212585x251409386

Authors: Yating Li, Xiao Zhang, Min Chen

Institution: Central China Normal University

Language: English

Topic: Digital literacy in education

Subfield: Information Systems

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China