Digital self-efficacy as a mediator in the development of English teachers' digital literacy in higher education: Evidence from Guizhou, China

Digital transformation has become a strategic pathway toward sustainable and equitable education worldwide. For higher education English teachers, digital literacy is particularly vital for integrating technology into language teaching. However, empirical research examining the factors influencing teachers' digital literacy in underdeveloped and unevenly resourced regions such as Guizhou, China, remains limited. This study examines factors influencing the digital literacy of higher education English teachers in Guizhou, China, focusing on the mediating role of digital self-efficacy. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model and Social Cognitive Theory, an integrated framework was tested using PLS-SEM with data from 312 respondents. Results show that digital self-efficacy fully mediates the relationship between perceived usefulness and digital literacy, while partially mediating the relationships of perceived ease of use, professional learning communities, training, and government policy. The findings highlight the important role of self-efficacy in shaping digital literacy and offer practical implications for policymakers, administrators, and teachers. Beyond practical implications, this study contributes theoretically by explaining how perceptual factors and external supports jointly shape digital literacy through digital self-efficacy, while offering insights into the mechanisms underlying digital literacy formation in resource-constrained contexts.