Factors Influencing Teachers’ Use of Digital Technology: A Structural Model

Abstract

Digital technology is widely employed nowadays, and its fast advancement has affected many aspects of daily life and how people live today. However, recent studies have shown that digital technology utilization among teachers, especially in Malaysia, is still not noticeable despite several initiatives being executed. This paper aims to predict the factors influencing Malaysian secondary school teachers' adoption of digital technologies. This will be achieved by identifying correlations between constructs such as personal innovativeness, technology self-efficacy, and digital competence, followed by developing a model using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). In Pahang, 540 secondary school teachers from 50 public secondary schools in 11 districts participated in a survey. Correlational research has been suggested in order to investigate this issue quantitatively. Participants were requested to fill out a questionnaire of 63 close questions measured using 5 Likert scale points, with answers ranging from Strongly Disagree (1) to Strongly Agree (5). According to the model, personal innovativeness, technological self-efficacy, and digital competence significantly affect digital technology use. The overall structural model with three paths explains 41.9% of the variation in secondary school teachers' use of digital technologies. The paper's conclusion discussed potential explanations for the study's findings and proposed suggestions for further research. These findings highlight the significance of enhancing teachers' personal innovativeness, technology self-efficacy, and digital competence that impact teachers' use of digital technology to meet the requirements of future qualified professions and prepare students for the future digital world.