Teacher is a crucial factor for successful technology integration into the classroom because what directly determines the instruction that takes place in the classroom is the teacher rather than external educational agenda or requirements (Chen, 2008). However, it should not be ignored that teachers of different subjects have varying needs for integrating ICT into their classrooms. This study focuses on the impact of ICT use in teaching on teachers in Chinese state school basic education stage.

The main research questions of this study are: 1. The current situation of ICT use in teaching across different subject areas. 2. Teachers’ feedback on the integration of ICT into their teaching. To answer these questions, I choose the ecological approach to teacher agency framework (Priestley et al., 2015) as the theoretical basis for my empirical research. Based on the theoretical framework, I designed interview and questionnaire questions from three dimensions: teachers’ teaching experience with or without ICT, current resources they can access, and their expectations for the future. During the data collection process, teachers mentioned that the use of ICT may affect their teaching evaluations and career promotion. Some teachers state that ICT does not significantly enhance their teaching or students’ learning in their subject. However, they choose to use it to create impression among course evaluators that their classroom performance is effective, therefore accumulating capital for promotion.

This study is part of a Ph.D. project exploring teachers’ use of technology in Chinese basic education, the data collection methods align with the Ph.D. project. Multiple case study has been chosen to explore different findings (Yin, 2018) based on students from different ages. The maximum variation (Patton, 2014) case selection strategy has been adopted to gain a comprehensive understanding of the research questions since applying AI technology in classroom teaching is still emerging in China. On a voluntary basis, four schools agreed to participate in the study, covering 9 subjects from primary to senior high state school. A combination of methods are applied in each case, includes desk-based research, questionnaire surveys, semi-structured interviews and observations. Desk-based research was first undertaken to analyze policies from the national to the local level. Surveys and interview questions were designed based on policy analysis and the theoretical framework. The surveys were distributed to selected schools, after teachers completed them within two weeks, the interview questions were slightly adjusted accordingly based on the survey data. Following this, interviews with teachers are conducted. Subsequently, observations were carried out after obtaining schools ethical approval and securing the consent of both teachers and principals. The findings for this study were derived through thematic analysis of the interview content.

This research finds that teachers of different subjects have significantly different attitudes toward using ICT in teaching. For example, most mathematics teachers believe that using digital tools to demonstrate geometric transformations helps students better understand area calculations. Geography teachers find that 3D imaging enhances students’ comprehension of Earth’s rotation and latitude-longitude calculations. However, politics teachers perceive little benefit from ICT in their teaching, as it does not necessarily improve teaching and students’ learning outcomes. Nevertheless, all teachers are subject to the same standardized teaching evaluation criteria, where ICT integration carries the same weight across disciplines. Under these conditions, teachers whose subjects do not benefit significantly from ICT may find themselves at a disadvantage in the evaluation process. However, this issue is not due to the teachers themselves, nor can it be resolved through teacher training or policy incentives, but rather from the nature of different subjects. Therefore, it is recommended that future teaching evaluations may establish discipline-specific assessment criteria, adjusting the weight of ICT utilization in different subjects. This approach would ensure that ICT genuinely serves as a tool for enhancing teaching, rather than being used merely for performance purposes. The significance of this study lies in taking a step back amidst the current trend of encouraging ICT in teaching, acknowledging the unique needs of each subject, and ensuring that teachers have more agency in their teaching practices rather than using technology for its own sake.

Chao-Hsiu Chen (2008) Why Do Teachers Not Practice What They Believe Regarding Technology Integration?, The Journal of Educational Research, 102:1, 65-75, DOI: 10.3200/JOER.102.1.65-75 Yin, R. K.(2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods. Priestley, M. R., Biesta, G., & Robinson, S. (2015). Teacher Agency: An Ecological Approach. Bloomsbury Academic. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=DwZbEAAAQBAJ Patton, M. Q. (2014). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice. Sage publications.