Mechanisms Influencing the Adoption of Educational Informatization Policies Among Pre-Service Teachers in Korea and China: A Comparative Analysis Using the Diffusion of Innovation and Activity Theory Frameworks

This study investigates the mechanisms underlying the adoption of educational informatization policies among pre-service teachers in South Korea and China, employing Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation Theory and Engeström’s Activity Theory as the primary theoretical frameworks. The survey sample consisted of 346 pre-service teachers from South Korea and 350 from China. The findings are as follows: First, for South Korean pre-service teachers, no significant effects were observed for the ICT attributes of relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, and trialability on adoption. In contrast, relative advantage and compatibility were found to be significant predictors of ICT adoption among Chinese pre-service teachers. Second, for South Korean pre-service teachers, all components of the activity system (subject, tools, object, community, division of labor, and outcomes), except for rules, significantly influenced ICT adoption. In contrast, for Chinese pre-service teachers, only the components of community, division of labor, and outcomes exhibited significant effects on ICT adoption. Third, no significant effects of contradictions within the activity system on ICT adoption behaviors were found in either cohort.