Shi and colleagues adopted a sequential mixed-methods design to examine how teachers’ digital teaching competence and digital self-efficacy influence their work engagement and emotional exhaustion in inclusive education settings. The first phase surveyed 478 teachers and used structural equation modeling to test the relationships among four core constructs. This was followed by a two-week professional development experiment based on the TPACK framework to evaluate whether strengthening teachers’ digital competence could effectively enhance their professional well-being.
The findings showed that teachers’ digital teaching competence was a strong predictor of self-efficacy (β = .848, p < .001), and significantly increased work engagement (β = .455, p < .001) while reducing emotional exhaustion (β = –.339, p < .001). Self-efficacy also significantly improved engagement (β = .300, p < .001) and reduced exhaustion (β = –.390, p < .001), indicating a chain mechanism from digital teaching competence → self-efficacy → teacher well-being.
The professional development experiment further supported these results. Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed significant gains in digital teaching competence (F = 22.085, ηp² = .290), self-efficacy (F = 32.296, ηp² = .374), work engagement (F = 14.764, ηp² = .215), and emotional exhaustion (F = 15.208, ηp² = .220). All pre- to post-test improvements in the experimental group reached high levels of significance, whereas no significant changes were observed in the control group.
This study highlights digital teaching competence as a key factor supporting teachers’ professional well-being. Structured, TPACK-informed short-term professional development can effectively strengthen teachers’ self-efficacy, enhance work engagement, and reduce emotional exhaustion. The authors recommend that educational institutions treat digital teaching competence as an essential component of teacher professional development, particularly to support sustained growth and psychological well-being in inclusive education contexts.
Source (Open Access): Shi, Y. R., Sin, K. F. K., & Wang, Y. Q. (2025). Teacher professional development of digital pedagogy for inclusive education in post-pandemic era: Effects on teacher competence, self-efficacy, and work well-being. Teaching and Teacher Education, 168, 105230.