Understanding Teacher Digital Literacy Development: The Effects of Cultural Capital, Digital Capital, and Training Participation

Abstract

Teacher digital literacy has become increasingly important for enhancing educational quality and advancing educational digitalization. However, existing research has focused primarily on measuring teachers’ digital competencies, with limited attention given to the mechanisms underlying their development. Drawing on Cultural Capital Theory and Digital Capital Theory, this study examined the effects of cultural capital, digital capital, and training participation on teacher digital literacy and explored the mediating role of training participation. A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected from 549 primary school teachers in Hunan Province, China. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed conceptual framework. The results indicated that cultural capital (β = .277, p < .001), digital capital (β = .239, p < .001), and training participation (β = .313, p < .001) had significant positive effects on teacher digital literacy. In addition, cultural capital (β = .243, p < .001) and digital capital (β = .280, p < .001) significantly predicted training participation. Bootstrap analysis further confirmed the mediating role of training participation in the relationships between cultural capital and teacher digital literacy and between digital capital and teacher digital literacy. These findings suggest that teacher digital literacy develops through a process of resource accumulation and capital conversion, in which cultural and digital resources are transformed into professional digital competencies through participation in training. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of teacher digital literacy development and offers practical implications for teacher professional development and educational digitalization policies.