Topic：Promoting the use of ICT in education and training has become a priority for different countries worldwide, as it can improve teaching and learning efficiency, expand resources, promote innovation, and enable multimedia in classroom teaching and learning. Especially in vocational education, teaching requires different skills and techniques, for example, engineering subjects require skills such as CADD, AutoCAD, animation and the technical attributes of these specializations require teachers to be well equipped with ICT skills and they need to keep updating their skills to keep pace with the digital age.

Interestingly, despite teachers holding a more positive attitude and a higher degree of recognition towards the necessity of carrying out teaching reforms in an informatized environment, the practical application of ICT by Chinese higher vocational college teachers is not satisfactory. For instance, teachers' concepts of informatized teaching are relatively outdated, the application of ICT by teachers is merely formalistic, and the level of ICT teaching varies. Therefore, research on the problems and challenges of teachers' use of ICT in teaching is crucial as it can assist teachers in overcoming barriers and becoming successful technology users.

Research question：What Influences Teachers’ ICT Use Behavior in Teaching at Chinese Higher Vocational Colleges?

Objective：The purpose of this study was to explore the influencing factors of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) application behavior among Chinese higher vocational college teachers in their teaching, based on the Theory of Planned Behavior.

Theoretical framework：The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is a social psychological theory proposed by Icek Ajzen in 1985),  which is primarily used to predict and explain the behavioral intentions and actual behavior of individuals, suggests that human behavior is guided by three considerations: beliefs about the likely consequences of behavior (behavioral beliefs), beliefs about the normative expectations of others (normative beliefs), and beliefs about the presence of factors that may facilitate or impede behavioral performance (control beliefs).

This study adopts the TPB model as the analytical framework to investigate the key influencing factors of ICT usage behavior among higher vocational college teachers, with the aim of proposing interventions to assist teachers in applying ICT more actively and effectively in their teaching practices. Consequently, this research introduces three dimensions of analysis:

a. Attitude toward ICT use behavior: refers to the favorable and unfavorable attitude of higher vocational teachers toward the ICT use behavior in teaching.

b. Subjective norm concerning ICT use behavior: refers to the pressure of higher vocational teachers who believe that significant others or social groups think they should or should not use ICT in teaching.

c. Perceived ICT use behavioral control: refers to the perceived ease or difficulty of higher vocational teachers in applying ICT to teaching. The perceived behavioral control is higher if teachers think they are capable of applying ICT to teaching and do not expect to encounter too many obstacles.

This study used a semi-structured interview method. Seventeen teachers from higher vocational colleges volunteered to participate in the study. Among them were 9 males and 8 females with teaching experience ranging from 3 to 21 years, with an average of 11 years. Four higher vocational colleges in different regions of China were selected using the principle of maximum differentiation, and each school identified 4-5 teachers of specialized subjects from various majors to maximize sample heterogeneity. The interview is centered on the following five open-ended questions, with flexible follow-ups based on the interviewees’ answers. Question 1: Can you mention the attitude towards the use of ICT in teaching? Question 2: Can you mention who or what incited you to use the ICT? Question 3: Can you mention who or what prevented you to use the ICT? Question 4: How do you think your control of ICT integration into teaching practice is? Question 5: Can you give examples of your ICT use? Researchers read the interview texts, categorized the data using thematic analysis and coded the data using MAXQDA, a professional qualitative analysis software. Data were analyzed through both inductive and deductive methods, focusing on three themes guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior: teachers’ attitude toward ICT use behavior, subjective norms concerning ICT use behavior, and teachers’ perceived ICT use behavioral control. The interview texts were coded separately by two researchers guided by the same theoretical framework and the coded results were compared, revised and reviewed by experts for credibility. Member Checking technique was also used to enhance the credibility of qualitative research. Interview transcripts and analyzed data were returned to respondents to check for accuracy and resonance with their experiences, ensuring that the research better reflected the experiences and perspectives of participants.

Teachers' application of ICT in teaching is influenced by multiple factors. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, which analyzes attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, this study reveals that teachers' attitudes towards the application of ICT in teaching are not uniform, encompassing both positive and negative evaluations. Specifically, ICT offers advantages such as improving efficiency, enriching content, and assisting in the explanation of knowledge and skills, yet it also presents challenges like increased student management difficulties and poor interactivity. In terms of subjective norms, the application of ICT by higher vocational college teachers is influenced by both internal motivation and external pressures. On one hand, many teachers have consciously learned and mastered ICT pedagogical skills, driven by the information-based work environment. On the other hand, this study found that the use of ICT by Chinese higher vocational college teachers is also subject to pressures from school systems and educational authorities, such as assessments, evaluations, and supervision of ICT application, which can increase the burden on teachers and negatively impact their intention to use ICT. Lastly, this study found that only a minority of teachers perceive their ICT skills as relatively adequate, while the majority face challenges such as insufficient skills, difficulties in resource integration, and lack of proficiency in software application, affecting their confidence and enthusiasm for ICT application, leading to ineffective utilization of ICT. This aligns with previous findings that the majority of vocational school teachers possess only basic ICT skills and lack the ability to handle more diverse teaching scenarios. These findings extend our understanding of the ICT adoption behavior and its influencing factors among Chinese higher vocational college teachers, thereby providing guidance for the development of initiatives aimed at enhancing ICT adoption among vocational education faculty.

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