Examining factors influencing Chinese ethnic minority English teachers’ technology adoption: an extension of the UTAUT model

Abstract

While teachers’ technology adoption has received increasing attention in the digital age, little effort has been made to examine ethnic minority English teachers’ technology use. This study aims to unpack Chinese ethnic minority English teachers’ technology adoption and examine factors that influence their intentions to use technology by employing an extended the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) as the framework for this study. Data were collected from 280 ethnic minority teachers in China and analyzed using structural equation modelling. Results suggested that ethnic minority English teachers generally have positive intentions to use technology. This study also found that perceived importance of technology-related policy, performance expectancy and social influence were significant antecedents that explain their intentions to use technology, while effort expectancy and facilitating condition were not. In addition, teacher perceived cultural value had significantly influenced their perceptions of technology-related policy, and the former also exerted a significant influence on intention. This study aims to enhance our understanding of teachers’ technology acceptance by contextualizing the investigation in a Chinese ethnic minority context.