Teachers’ Enactment of Digital Transformation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training in China: An Activity Theory Perspective

This qualitative study examines how technical and vocational education and training (TVET) teachers in China conceptualize and implement digital transformation in their educational practices. Using cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) as an analytical framework, the research investigates digital transformation as a socially and culturally mediated process, analyzing the dynamic interactions between subjects, objects, tools, rules, communities, and division of labor. Through content analysis of systematically documented narratives from 70 teachers at a Chinese TVET institution, the study explores the nature and processes of digital transformation in course delivery and practical training contexts. The findings reveal significant shifts in teachers’ pedagogical understanding, institutional relationships, and professional roles, highlighting the complex interplay between individual agency, institutional structures, and technological affordances. The analysis identifies critical tensions between personalization and standardization, as well as between institutional autonomy and industry alignment, revealing contradictions in how digital transformation is conceptualized and implemented. This research extends activity theory by demonstrating how digital transformation generates novel forms of mediation and contradiction within educational settings. The study concludes with practical recommendations for TVET institutions undertaking digital transformation initiatives and emphasizes the importance of supporting teachers’ professional development in increasingly digitalized educational environments.