Unpacking the synergistic relationship between the digital environment, administrative support, and pedagogical application in fostering teachers’ digital competence

Abstract

Research on teachers’ digital competence presents conflicting perspectives, posing a significant challenge to its enhancement. While researchers have explored the multifaceted factors influencing teachers’ digital competence, the field has yet to develop a comprehensive factor model that can systematically analyze its development. This study introduces the digital competence, pedagogical application, administrative support, and digital environment (CASE) framework that based on Context-Input-Process-Product (CIPP) to systematically analyze the factors associated with the development of teachers’ digital competence. Five hypotheses have been proposed to facilitate our comprehension of the relationships among these variables and their links to teachers’ digital competence. Surveys containing 65 items was the main data collection technique used in this study. A structural equation modeling method was employed to investigate the links between digital environment, administrative support, pedagogical application, and teachers’ digital competence. The sample comprised 14,970 primary and secondary school teachers from various areas (rural, town, and urban) within a province in China. The analysis results showed that administrative support and digital environment had a direct positive link to teachers’ digital competence. Further, they were significantly related to pedagogical application, which further mediated the relationships between administrativce support and digital competence and between digital environment and teachers’ digital competence. A multi-group analysis demonstrated that the model remained consistent across genders and regions, suggesting that the framework was applicable to both male and female teachers in various regions. It highlights the mediating role of pedagogical application and offers a framework for designing supportive environments, which has the potential to create ample opportunities for teachers to practice and enhance their digital competence.