Exploring the intersections between digital competence with job motivation and job efficacy in EFL teachers: insights from achievement goal theory

Ji Tian; Arash Hashemifardnia; Shamim Akhter

doi:10.1186/s40359-025-03428-y

journal article Open Access Sep 26, 2025

Exploring the intersections between digital competence with job motivation and job efficacy in EFL teachers: insights from achievement goal theory

Ji Tian

Arash Hashemifardnia

Shamim Akhter

BMC Psychology Vol. 13 No. 1 · Springer Science and Business Media LLC

View at Publisher Save 10.1186/s40359-025-03428-y

Topics

No keywords indexed for this article. Browse by subject →

References

91

[1]

Bolton K, Graddol D. English in China today: the current popularity of english in China is unprecedented, and has been fuelled by the recent political and social development of Chinese society. Engl Today. 2012;28(3):3–9. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078412000223 10.1017/s0266078412000223

[2]

Lam A. English in education in china: policy changes and learners’ experiences. World Englishes. 2002;21(2):245–56. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-971X.00245 10.1111/1467-971x.00245

[3]

Jin L, Cortazzi M. English Language teaching in china: A Bridge to the future. Asia Pac J Educ. 2002;22(2):53–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/0218879020220206 10.1080/0218879020220206

[4]

Graddol D. (2006). English next. British Council.

[5]

Jenkins J. Global englishes: A resource book for students. Routledge; 2014. 10.4324/9781315761596

[6]

Wang Y, Kabilan MK. Integrating technology into english learning in higher education: a bibliometric analysis. Cogent Educ. 2024;11(1):2404201. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2404201 10.1080/2331186x.2024.2404201

[7]

Gao L. Digital technologies and english instruction in china’s higher education system. Teacher Dev. 2012;16(2):161–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2012.667967 10.1080/13664530.2012.667967

[8]

Bates T. Teaching in a digital age: guidelines for designing and learning. Tony Bates Associates Limited; 2019.

[9]

Lázaro Cantabrana JL, Usart Rodríguez M, Gisbert Cervera M. Assessing teacher digital competence: the construction of an instrument for measuring the knowledge of pre-service teachers. J New Approaches Educational Res. 2019;8(1):73–8. https://doi.org/10.7821/naer.2019.1.370 10.7821/naer.2019.1.370

[10]

Gudmundsdottir GB, Hatlevik OE. Newly qualified teachers’ professional digital competence: implications for teacher education. Eur J Teacher Educ. 2018;41(2):214–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2017.1416085 10.1080/02619768.2017.1416085

[11]

Guillén-Gámez FD, Mayorga-Fernández MJ, Bravo-Agapito J, Escribano-Ortiz D. Analysis of teachers’ pedagogical digital competence: identification of factors predicting their acquisition. Technol Knowl Learn. 2021;26(3):481–98. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-019-09432-7 10.1007/s10758-019-09432-7

[12]

Dimensions of Digital Literacy in the 21st Century Competency Frameworks

María Cristina Martínez-Bravo, Charo Sádaba Chalezquer, Javier Serrano-Puche

Sustainability 2022 10.3390/su14031867

[13]

Yang L, Martínez-Abad F, García-Holgado A. Exploring factors influencing pre-service and in-service teachers perception of digital competencies in the Chinese region of Anhui. Educ Inform Technol. 2022;27(9):12469–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11085-6 10.1007/s10639-022-11085-6

[14]

Hämäläinen R, Nissinen K, Mannonen J, Lämsä J, Leino K, Taajamo M. Understanding teaching professionals’ digital competence: what do PIAAC and TALIS reveal about technology-related skills, attitudes, and knowledge? Comput Hum Behav. 2021;117:106672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106672 10.1016/j.chb.2020.106672

[15]

Developing and validating a Teachers' Digital Competence Model and Self-Assessment Instrument for secondary school teachers in China

Lei Jiang, Na Yu

Education and Information Technologies 2024 10.1007/s10639-023-12182-w

[16]

Li H, Tinmaz H. Knowledge mapping of research on teachers’ digital competence in china: a bibliometric analysis using CiteSpace. J Computers Educ. 2024;1–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40692-023-00311-w 10.1007/s40692-023-00311-w

[17]

Li L, Walsh S. Technology uptake in Chinese EFL classes. Lang Teach Res. 2011;15(1):99–125. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168810383347 10.1177/1362168810383347

[18]

Selwyn N. Is technology good for education? Wiley; 2016.

[19]

An empirical study on the evaluation and influencing factors of digital competence of Chinese teachers for TVET

Yu Xin, Yuanbin Tang, Xiangwei Mou

PLoS ONE 2024 10.1371/journal.pone.0310187

[20]

Xue L. Urgent, but how? Developing English foreign language teachers’ digital literacy in a professional learning community focusing on large language models. Eur J Educ. 2024;e12899. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12899 10.1111/ejed.12899

[21]

Liu S, Onwuegbuzie AJ. Teachers’ motivation for entering the teaching profession and their job satisfaction: A cross-cultural comparison of China and other countries. Learn Environ Res. 2014;17:75–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-013-9155-5 10.1007/s10984-013-9155-5

[22]

Mo J, Morris G. Investigating the employment motivation, job satisfaction, and dissatisfaction of international high school teachers in china: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Psychol. 2024;15:1271604. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1271604 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1271604

[23]

Gao X, Xu H. The dilemma of being english Language teachers: interpreting teachers’ motivation to teach, and professional commitment in china’s hinterland regions. Lang Teach Res. 2014;18(2):152–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168813505938 10.1177/1362168813505938

[24]

Gao X. To be or not to be: shifting motivations in Chinese secondary school english teachers’ career narratives. Teacher Dev. 2010;14(3):321–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2010.504013 10.1080/13664530.2010.504013

[25]

Li Y, Zhang LJ. Influence of mentorship and the working environment on english as a foreign Language teachers’ research productivity: the mediation role of research motivation and self-efficacy. Front Psychol. 2022;13(1):906932. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.906932 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.906932

[26]

Development and validation of teacher artificial intelligence (AI) competence self-efficacy (TAICS) scale

Thomas K. F. Chiu, Zubair Ahmad, Murat Çoban

Education and Information Technologies 10.1007/s10639-024-13094-z

[27]

Lindfors M, Pettersson F, Olofsson AD. Conditions for professional digital competence: the teacher educators’ view. Educ Inq. 2021;12(4):390–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/20004508.2021.1890936 10.1080/20004508.2021.1890936

[28]

Beardsley M, Albó L, Aragón P, Hernández-Leo D. Emergency education effects on teacher abilities and motivation to use digital technologies. Br J Edu Technol. 2021;52(4):1455–77. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13101 10.1111/bjet.13101

[29]

Yan C, Wang L. Experienced EFL teachers switching to online teaching: A case study from China. System. 2022;105:102717. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2021.102717 10.1016/j.system.2021.102717

[30]

Can teachers’ digital competence influence technology acceptance in vocational education?

Chiara Antonietti, Alberto Cattaneo, Francesca Amenduni

Computers in Human Behavior 2022 10.1016/j.chb.2022.107266

[31]

Guillén-Gámez FD, Mayorga-Fernández MJ, Álvarez-García FJ. A study on the actual use of digital competence in the practicum of education degree. Technol Knowl Learn. 2020;25(3):667–84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-018-9390-z 10.1007/s10758-018-9390-z

[32]

Rahimi AR. Beyond digital competence and Language teaching skills: the bi-level factors associated with EFL teachers’ 21st-century digital competence to cultivate 21st-century digital skills. Educ Inform Technol. 2024;29(8):9061–89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12171-z 10.1007/s10639-023-12171-z

[33]

Rezai A, Soyoof A, Reynolds BL. Informal digital learning of english and EFL teachers’ job engagement: exploring the mediating role of technological pedagogical content knowledge and digital competence. System. 2024;122:103276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103276 10.1016/j.system.2024.103276

[34]

Teacher efficacy: capturing an elusive construct

Megan Tschannen-Moran, Anita Woolfolk Hoy

Teaching and Teacher Education 2001 10.1016/s0742-051x(01)00036-1

[35]

Han J, Gao C, Yang J. Chinese university EFL teachers’ perceived support, innovation, and teaching satisfaction in online teaching environments: the mediation of teaching efficacy. Front Psychol. 2021;12:761106. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.761106 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.761106

[36]

Gao Y, Wong SL, Khambari MNM, Noordin NB, Geng J. Assessing the relationship between english as a foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ self-efficacy and their acceptance of online teaching in the Chinese context. Sustainability. 2022;14(20):13434. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013434 10.3390/su142013434

[37]

Røkenes FM, Krumsvik RJ. Prepared to teach ESL with ICT? A study of digital competence in Norwegian teacher education. Comput Educ. 2016;97:1–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.02.014 10.1016/j.compedu.2016.02.014

[38]

Examination of Higher Education Teachers’ Self-Perception of Digital Competence, Self-Efficacy, and Facilitating Conditions: An Empirical Study in the Context of China

Zhaorui Wang, Zuwang Chu

Sustainability 2023 10.3390/su151410945

[39]

Yang X, Du J. The effect of teacher self-efficacy, online pedagogical and content knowledge, and emotion regulation on teacher digital burnout: a mediation model. BMC Psychol. 2024;12(1):1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01540-z 10.1186/s40359-024-01540-z

[40]

Demır S. The role of self-efficacy in job satisfaction, organizational commitment, motivation and job involvement. Eurasian J Educational Res. 2020;20(85):205–24. 10.14689/ejer.2020.85.10

[41]

Mannila L, Nordén LÅ, Pears A. (2018, August). Digital competence, teacher self-efficacy and training needs. In Proceedings of the 2018 ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research (pp. 78–85). 10.1145/3230977.3230993

[42]

Examining the Relationship between Teachers’ Self-Efficacy, their Digital Competence, Strategies to Evaluate Information, and use of ICT at School

Ove Edvard Hatlevik

Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 2017 10.1080/00313831.2016.1172501

[43]

Alex D, Varghese J, Thomas M. (2021, April). Embracing digitalisation: Exploring the relationship between digital competence and self-efficacy of school teachers. In 2021 AUN-BE Conference (p. 129).

[44]

Hoang NH. Exploring digital competence among Vietnamese EFL preservice teachers: the role of ICT self-efficacy, collegial collaboration, and infrastructural support. J Digit Learn Teacher Educ. 2024;40(4):217–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/21532974.2024.2407327 10.1080/21532974.2024.2407327

[45]

Alibakhshi G, Nikdel F, Labbafi A. Exploring the consequences of teachers’ self-efficacy: a case of teachers of english as a foreign Language. Asian-Pacific J Second Foreign Lang Educ. 2020;5(1):1–19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-020-00102-1 10.1186/s40862-020-00102-1

[46]

Skaalvik EM, Skaalvik S. Teacher self-efficacy and teacher burnout: A study of relations. Teach Teacher Educ. 2010;26(4):1059–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2009.11.001 10.1016/j.tate.2009.11.001

[47]

Caprara GV, Barbaranelli C, Borgogni L, Steca P. Efficacy beliefs as determinants of teachers’ job satisfaction. J Educ Psychol. 2003;95(4):821–32. 10.1037/0022-0663.95.4.821

[48]

Teachers' self-efficacy beliefs as determinants of job satisfaction and students' academic achievement: A study at the school level

Gian Vittorio Caprara, Claudio Barbaranelli, Patrizia Steca et al.

Journal of School Psychology 2006 10.1016/j.jsp.2006.09.001

[49]

Klassen RM, Tze VM. Teachers’ self-efficacy, personality, and teaching effectiveness: A meta-analysis. Educational Res Rev. 2014;12:59–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2014.06.001 10.1016/j.edurev.2014.06.001

[50]

Barni D, Danioni F, Benevene P. Teachers’ self-efficacy: the role of personal values and motivations for teaching. Front Psychol. 2019;10:1–7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01645 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01645

Showing 50 of 91 references

Metrics

3

Citations

91

References

Details

Published: Sep 26, 2025
Vol/Issue: 13(1)
License: View

Authors

J

Ji Tian

Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Tree Breeding by Molecular Design, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China; Plant Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China

A

Arash Hashemifardnia

Islamic Azad University

S

Shamim Akhter

Animal Physiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, 46000 Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Cite This Article

Ji Tian, Arash Hashemifardnia, Shamim Akhter (2025). Exploring the intersections between digital competence with job motivation and job efficacy in EFL teachers: insights from achievement goal theory. BMC Psychology, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03428-y

Exploring the intersections between digital competence with job motivation and job efficacy in EFL teachers: insights from achievement goal theory

You May Also Like