Socio-cultural and technological landscape’s influence on the quality of teacher preparation program

This study investigates the direct and indirect effects of sociocultural and technological factors on the quality of teacher preparation program (TPP) implementation in four public colleges in Ethiopia’s South, Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR). Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey design and structural equation modeling (SEM) with data from 294 participants (instructors, educational leaders, and diploma graduate teachers), the research examines institutional capacities such as curriculum implementation competence of instructors, diploma graduate teachers’ attitudes, instructional leadership competencies, and material provision as mediating mechanisms. Findings reveal that sociocultural and technological factors exert a strong direct influence on implementation quality (β = 0.345) and shape institutional capacities, particularly leadership (β = 0.484) and teachers attitudes (β = 0.221). Mediation is most pronounced through leadership and attitudes, while curriculum competence and provision of materials show weak effects. The model explains 43.7% of the variance in implementation quality. Grounded in Sociocultural Theory and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the results emphasize User-Centric, context-sensitive approaches over resource allocation alone. Implications include instructional leadership-focused interventions, diploma teacher’s attitude-shaping programs, and integrated professional development to enhance TPP quality in diverse contexts.