Digitally Integrated Teaching Materials in Chinese Vocational Education: Accessibility, Cognitive Load, and Vocational Skill Alignment for Students with Disabilities

Digitally integrated teaching materials are increasingly adopted in vocational education to support inclusive learning, yet empirical evidence regarding their effectiveness for students with disabilities remains limited, particularly in Chinese vocational institutions. Prior research has primarily examined accessibility features or general inclusion principles, with insufficient attention to vocational skill alignment and cognitive constraints. This study investigates how digitally integrated teaching materials influence learning experiences and outcomes among students with disabilities in Chinese vocational education. Using a mixed-methods design, the study combines survey data, experimental comparisons, behavioural records, and semi-structured interviews collected from multiple vocational institutions. The findings reveal substantial gaps between digitally integrated teaching materials and occupational skill requirements. The effectiveness of digital integration depend on appropriate cognitive load management, as excessive technological complexity may reduce learning effectiveness. Experimental evidence further indicates that well-adapted digitally integrated teaching materials can enhance vocational skill acquisition, whereas poorly designed implementations may create additional barriers. These findings highlight the importance of cognitively informed and occupation-oriented design in digitally integrated teaching materials and provide implications for developing more inclusive vocational learning environments for students with disabilities in China.