Investigating the factors affecting ICT integration of in-service teachers in Henan Province, China: structural equation modeling

The study addresses persistent challenges in effectively integrating ICT into classroom teaching despite growing investments and policy support. It highlights mixed findings in prior work on barriers and adoption drivers, particularly in developing contexts like China. The purpose is to understand how in-service teachers’ attitudes, self-efficacy, digital competence, and digital tools utilization relate to ICT integration, and how demographic characteristics (gender, age, teaching experience) are associated with these variables. The research questions are: (1) What are the associations among attitudes, self-efficacy, digital competence, digital tools utilization, and ICT integration among in-service teachers? (2) How are age, gender, and teaching experience associated with these factors and ICT integration? This work is important for informing teacher professional development, ICT support policies, and strategies for effective classroom technology use.

Grounded in TAM3 and the Will-Skill-Tool (WST) model, the review frames ICT integration as influenced by cognitive evaluations and contextual resources. TAM3 emphasizes determinants of technology acceptance and use, while WST posits that will (attitudes), skill (competence), and tool (access/use) are essential for integration. Prior studies generally show positive links between teachers’ attitudes and ICT integration, and between attitudes and both digital competence and tool use; demographic effects (age, gender, experience) are mixed. Evidence on self-efficacy suggests positive associations with attitudes, competence, tool use, and integration, though some studies report null links. Digital competence is frequently associated with stronger ICT integration; its relation to gender and age is inconsistent across studies. Digital tools availability/use positively predicts integration, but the role of demographics in tool use remains underexplored. The review motivates a combined TAM3–WST framework examining interrelations among attitudes, self-efficacy, digital competence, and digital tools utilization as predictors of ICT integration.

Design: Quantitative study using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test a model integrating TAM3 and WST constructs. Endogenous target: ICT integration (ICTI). Predictors: attitudes (AT), self-efficacy (SE), digital competence (DC), digital tools utilization (DTU). Control variables: age, gender, teaching experience. Sampling and data collection: Snowball sampling of in-service teachers from public schools in Henan Province, China. Initial contact with 20 teachers who each recruited at least 40 others. Online survey administered December 2022–January 2023. Of 800 questionnaires distributed, 720 valid responses were returned; after screening for outliers and missing data, 685 usable cases remained. Sample: 30.7% male, 69.3% female; majority under 45 years; 62.5% had less than 3 years of teaching experience. Instrument: Questionnaire measuring AT, SE, DC, DTU, and ICTI on a 5-point Likert scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree). Items adapted from prior validated instruments. Reliability was high (overall Cronbach’s alpha around 0.95). Construct-level reliability from the measurement model: AT α=0.900, SE α=0.898, DC α=0.894, DTU α=0.912, ICTI α=0.889; composite reliability for all constructs >0.9 or near, and AVE ≥0.621. Validity: Convergent validity supported (loadings mostly >0.7, AVE >0.5). Discriminant validity supported via Fornell–Larcker and HTMT criteria. Analysis: PLS-SEM using SmartPLS 3.3.3. Multicollinearity assessed via inner VIF (all <5). Bootstrapping with 5000 subsamples for significance testing of paths. Model predictive relevance examined using blindfolding (Q² > 0 for all endogenous constructs). Additional analyses: one-way ANOVA (with LSD post-hoc) for age and teaching experience, and group comparison by gender; Levene’s test confirmed homogeneity of variance.

Measurement model: All constructs reliable and valid (e.g., AT α=0.900, SE α=0.898, DC α=0.894, DTU α=0.912, ICTI α=0.889; AVE ≥0.621; loadings >0.74). Discriminant validity supported (Fornell–Larcker and HTMT <0.85–0.90 thresholds). Structural model and prediction:

• R²: AT=0.286, DC=0.401, DTU=0.424, ICTI=0.482 (moderate for DC, DTU, ICTI).
• Q² (predictive relevance): AT=0.202, DC=0.279, DTU=0.310, ICTI=0.329 (>0 indicates predictive power).
• Effect sizes (f²): notable SE→AT f²≈0.401 (large) and AT→DC f²≈0.302 (medium); small effects of the four predictors on ICTI. Significant direct effects (β, p<0.01):
• AT→DC 0.503; AT→DTU 0.326; AT→ICTI 0.296.
• SE→AT 0.535; SE→DC 0.200; SE→DTU 0.181; SE→ICTI 0.174.
• DC→DTU 0.266; DC→ICTI 0.223.
• DTU→ICTI 0.156. Significant indirect (mediated) effects (p<0.01):
• AT→ICTI via DC and via DTU.
• SE→ICTI via AT, DC, and DTU.
• DC→ICTI via DTU. Overall, all four elements (AT, SE, DC, DTU) significantly and positively influenced ICT integration; attitudes, digital competence, and digital tools utilization served as mediators. Group differences (ANOVA):
• Gender: No significant differences in SE, DTU, ICTI. Females showed significantly higher AT and DC than males.
• Age: No significant differences in AT or SE. Significant differences in DC, DTU, ICTI, with teachers aged 31–35 showing higher DC, DTU, and ICTI than those 20–30 or >35.
• Teaching experience: No significant differences in DTU. Significant differences in AT, SE, DC, ICTI; teachers with <3 years experience exhibited higher AT, SE, DC, and ICTI than those with >10 years.

Findings validate a combined TAM3–WST framework for understanding ICT integration among in-service teachers. Attitudes emerged as a central driver, strongly enhancing digital competence and tool use, and directly improving ICT integration. Self-efficacy was foundational, boosting attitudes, competence, tool use, and integration, suggesting that confidence in using technology underpins positive perceptions and effective application. Digital competence both directly improved integration and facilitated greater use of tools, while tool utilization itself had an incremental positive effect on integration. Together, these pathways explain nearly half of the variance in ICT integration and demonstrate meaningful predictive power. The demographic analyses suggest nuanced targeting for professional development: female teachers reported higher attitudes and competence; teachers aged 31–35 were leading in competence, tool use, and integration; and early-career teachers (<3 years) showed higher attitudes, self-efficacy, competence, and integration than more experienced peers. These patterns imply the value of tailored support for older and more experienced teachers and the strategic role of mid-career educators in driving digital teaching. Implications include prioritizing interventions that strengthen self-efficacy and attitudes, develop digital competence, and support practical tool use to enhance classroom integration.

The study proposes and validates an integrated framework merging TAM3 and WST to explain ICT integration by in-service teachers. It demonstrates interconnected effects of attitudes, self-efficacy, digital competence, and digital tools utilization on ICT integration, with multiple significant mediation pathways. Practically, schools and policymakers should offer seminars, training, and ongoing support that build positive attitudes and self-efficacy, develop strong digital skills, and promote active tool use to optimize ICT-enabled teaching. Future research should broaden generalizability by including teachers from multiple countries and contexts, examine additional influencing factors beyond the four considered here, and conduct cross-national comparative analyses to refine and extend the model.

Generalisability is limited by the single-country sample (China). The study examined only four influencing factors, and the quantitative analysis of these factors had constraints. Future work should include data from teachers in diverse countries and explore additional determinants to enhance applicability and explanatory scope.