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. 2026 Jan 7:16:1696627.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1696627. eCollection 2025.

From believing to behaving: Unpacking teacher emotion as the mediator between information literacy self-efficacy and information-empowered teaching engagement

Xinfeng Xie  1 , Chuyi Du  1 , Jing Cheng  2 , Haiyan Zhang  1
Affiliations

From believing to behaving: Unpacking teacher emotion as the mediator between information literacy self-efficacy and information-empowered teaching engagement

Xinfeng Xie et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Introduction: In the era of artificial intelligence, information literacy is a crucial skill for teachers, enabling the effective integration of technology into pedagogy. This study examines the psychological factors influencing the information-empowered teaching engagement of university English teachers.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 224 university English teachers in Southeast China. Data were collected using a composite questionnaire measuring information literacy self-efficacy, teacher emotion (both positive and negative), and information-empowered teaching engagement. The data were analyzed via SmartPLS to test the proposed mediation model.

Results: The findings indicate that university English teachers experience a mix of positive and negative emotions when applying information technology. Information literacy self-efficacy was identified as a primary factor promoting teaching engagement. Both positive and negative emotions were found to play substantial and parallel mediating roles between self-efficacy and engagement.

Discussion: The study highlights the complex emotional landscape accompanying technology integration. It proposes the design of hybrid professional development programs for technology-rich environments. These programs should concurrently provide emotional support and technical training to enhance teachers' information literacy self-efficacy and, consequently, their information-empowered teaching engagement.

Keywords: information literacy; parallel mediation; self-efficacy; teacher emotions; teaching engagement.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The mediating role of positive and negative emotions between information literacy self-efficacy and information-empowered teaching engagement.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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