Article 2025

The relationship between faculty members’ perceptions of technology leadership and their technology integration into higher education—Evidence from China

British Educational Research Journal
Journal · Vol. 51 · Issue 6 · pp. 2837-2870
Abstract

In the era of digital education, enhancing faculty members’ technology integration has become a primary concern in higher education. This study aimed to examine the relationship between faculty members’ perceptions of their deans’ technology leadership practices and their integration of technology into teaching. An online survey was conducted among faculty members of second-level colleges within higher education institutions in Wenzhou, China, ensuring a diverse and representative sample. A further sample of eight faculty members was then interviewed to supplement the findings from the survey, and to enable a deeper exploration of the underlying interactive mechanism concerning leadership practices and faculty members’ technology integration competency. The results revealed a significant correlation between various dimensions of faculty members’ perception of deans’ technology leadership and their technology integration, as well as pinpointing specific areas where deans’ leadership practices could be enhanced, including modelling citizen behaviours, strategic planning, policy orientation, feedback input, professional development and resource support relating to professional growth. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how leadership practices can shape the technological development within educational institutions, offering valuable insights for academic leaders and providing a foundation for future studies on technology integration in higher education. © 2025 British Educational Research Association.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Technology integration Higher education ICT competency framework for teacher technology leadership

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
Funding & Acknowledgements
Zhejiang Office of Philosophy and Social Science
Grant: 21NDJC092YB
This paper was financially supported by the Zhejiang Provincial Philosophy and Social Science Office \u2018Research on Multidimensional Empowerment of College Students\u2019 English Learning from Ecological Perspective\u2019 (21NDJC092YB), Wenzhou Medical University (601421922) and Wenzhou International Communication Research Center.
Zhejiang Office of Philosophy and Social Science
This paper was financially supported by the Zhejiang Provincial Philosophy and Social Science Office \u2018Research on Multidimensional Empowerment of College Students\u2019 English Learning from Ecological Perspective\u2019 (21NDJC092YB), Wenzhou Medical University (601421922) and Wenzhou International Communication Research Center.
Wenzhou Medical University, WMU
Grant: 601421922
This paper was financially supported by the Zhejiang Provincial Philosophy and Social Science Office \u2018Research on Multidimensional Empowerment of College Students\u2019 English Learning from Ecological Perspective\u2019 (21NDJC092YB), Wenzhou Medical University (601421922) and Wenzhou International Communication Research Center.
Wenzhou Medical University, WMU
This paper was financially supported by the Zhejiang Provincial Philosophy and Social Science Office \u2018Research on Multidimensional Empowerment of College Students\u2019 English Learning from Ecological Perspective\u2019 (21NDJC092YB), Wenzhou Medical University (601421922) and Wenzhou International Communication Research Center.
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