Promoting Teachers’ Digital Literacy Achievement: A Nationwide Survey of Education Informatization in China

Abstract

Education informatization is one of the paramount issues in educational reform. To resonate with Chinese national progress in technology development and national policy for promoting education reform and modernization, this study ascertains the current status of education informatization and teachers’ use of technology in teaching and learning in China. Data from a national survey on primary and secondary schools and teachers about the performance of education informatization was analyzed. According to the results, teachers’ use of technology in teaching is a reinforcement of traditional pedagogy; innovative functions such as the communication and evaluation of teaching and learning are under-utilized. On the basis of this finding, promoting education informatization needs to promote teachers’ coherent Digital Literacy (DL) integration competence. Meanwhile, a professional gap in using digital educational resources was found among teachers. The Ministry of Education, Science & Technology (MEST) and the research team have put sustained efforts to guide the development of education informatization in China, and the results of this study serve as evidence for policymakers and principles to promote teacher professional development in line with the changes of new requirements for teachers’ teaching ability in this information era.