The influence of learning experience and social-cognitive factors on teachers digital instructional practice

Teachers’ digital instructional practices are central to system-level digital transformation; however, the developmental mechanisms linking teachers’ earlier learning experiences to classroom practice remain insufficiently specified. Grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory, this study examined how teachers’ pre-service digital learning experiences and social-cognitive factors influence digital instructional practices through key pathways of influence. The study utilized data from the 2024 Teaching and Learning International Survey, published in October 2025, which included responses from 6,222 teachers across 374 schools in Korea. After confirming the validity and reliability of the research variables, structural equation modeling was conducted using AMOS software to verify the hypotheses and analyze the significance of indirect effects. Results indicated that teachers’ pre-service digital learning experiences significantly predicted digital instructional practices through the social-cognitive factors of teaching efficacy and perceived professional learning needs. Furthermore, the study found that the Social Cognitive Career Theory framework—comprising social learning experience, self-efficacy, and cognitive interest—is well suited to identifying teachers' digital professional characteristics. Notably, increases in digital teaching efficacy developed during in-service teaching positions were strongly associated with improvements in digital instructional practices. In conclusion, this study underscores the need for systematic support measures to empower pre-service teachers in developing digital competence. Additionally, it proposes support strategies, such as informal learning, to enable in-service teachers to autonomously enhance their digital teaching efficacy when they perceive a need.