Investigating the Structural Relationships of Vocational Teachers' Digital Literacy for Blended Learning

The proliferation of mobile and blended learning increases demand for teachers' digital literacy. This study focuses on the pressing challenges in integrating technology into practical teaching within vocational education. Investigating in-service vocational teachers in China, structural equation modeling (SEM) analyzed the interrelationships among five digital literacy dimensions: digital awareness, digital knowledge and skills, digital application, digital social responsibility, and professional development. Results uncover a sequential pathway: digital awareness fosters digital knowledge and skills, which robustly enhance digital application. Crucially, digital application acts as the key mediator, directly driving professional development, yet it is the lowest-rated dimension, confirming the gap. Based on the findings, the authors propose targeted strategies including blended training, incentive mechanisms, and subject-specific tool development to strengthen digital application capabilities, better equipping vocational teachers for efficient blended and mobile learning environments.

Blended Learning · Digital Learning · Digital Literacy · Incentive · Mobile device · Technological literacy · Vocational education · Digital literacy in education · Gender and Technology in Education · Literacy, Media, and Education