Assessing the Impact of Technology Integration Strategies on Information Literacy Development through Information-Seeking Behavior

Information literacy is a critical competency for medical students to evaluate clinical evidence and support professional development in technology-integrated educational settings. Grounded in social cognitive theory, this study developed a model examining how technology integration teaching strategies (environmental factor) influence medical students’ information literacy (personal factor) through information-seeking behavior (behavioral factor). A cross-sectional survey was administered to 280 undergraduates from a medical university in western China, all of whom had completed clinical internships and evidence-based medicine training. The proposed model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Technology integration teaching strategies significantly predicted information-seeking behavior (β = 0.438, p < 0.001) and directly predicted information literacy (β = 0.212, p = 0.001). Information-seeking behavior significantly enhanced information literacy (β = 0.387, p < 0.001) and fully mediated the relationship between technology integration teaching strategies and information literacy (indirect effect: β = 0.169, p < 0.001). These findings support the applicability of social cognitive theory in medical education and clarify the behavioral mechanisms through which technology integration contributes to students’ information literacy development. The study provides empirical evidence and practical implications for optimizing curriculum design.