The Influencing Factors on the Application of Information Technology Among Japanese Language Teachers in Chinese Universities

Abstract

In the context of educational informatization, the Guide to Institutions of Higher Education in China have set clear expectations for Japanese language teachers’ educational information technology applications. There is an urgent need for research on information technology applications and the influencing factors of Japanese language teachers in universities. The results of this qualitative analysis based on grounded theory with 12 college Japanese teachers as interviewees showed that four factors (teacher, learner, technology, and support) influence teachers’ ICT applications. Among them, the teacher factor is the critical factor of ICT application, while a combination of the learner factor, technology factor, and support factor influences teachers’ ICT application behavior. This study also demonstrated that a combination of internal and external factors affects teachers’ willingness to use information technology, which in turn encourages application behavior, and that teachers themselves may benefit from the process.