Impact of Digital Teaching Methods on Teaching Quality

Abstract

The fast-growing adaption of digital technologies in higher learning has changed the way of instructional delivery but empirical data are scarce on how teaching practices that involve digital technology can produce quality teaching. The previous research has mostly concentrated on the adoption of technology or direct impacts without considering the motivational processes that cause instructional practices to affect teaching outcomes. The research was conducted to fill this gap by exploring the effects of digital teaching practices and teaching interactivity on the quality of teaching, using student motivation as a mediator factor and digital literacy as an explanation factor in students. It is proposed in the study that the quality of teaching in digital settings is attained based on the motivation processes among the learners rather than the application of technology. The survey data used in the study were quantitative and cross-sectional research design based on survey data collected on higher education students. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the proposed conceptual model. Cronbach alpha, composite reliability and average variance extracted were used to measure reliability and validity of the measurements, and the structural path analysis, mediation analysis and moderation analysis were conducted. The findings demonstrate that digital teaching strategies (β=0.408 p 0.001), and interactive teaching ( β= 0.482 p 0.001) have significant positive effect on student motivation which consequently has a positive effect on the quality of teaching (β=  0.361 p 0.001). The correlation between instructional practices and the teaching quality is mediated by student motivation whereas the effect of student digital literacy on teaching quality is direct (β=0.572, p < 0.001). The model describes 72.7 and 74.4 percent of the variance in the motivation of students and teaching quality. The research offers empirical findings in support of a motivation-based account of teaching quality in digital higher education that brings a fined insight into the effectiveness of instruction and useful advice into designing interactive and learner-centered digital teaching methods.

Keywords: Digital teaching methods; Teaching interactivity; Student motivation; Digital literacy; Teaching quality; Higher education; PLS-SEM