Proposing a culturally relevant theoretical framework for teacher educators’ information and communication technology (ICT) acceptance and use in Bhutan and similar cultural contexts

Technology acceptance by teacher educators is crucial for successful integration into teaching. While technology acceptance models are well established in developed-country contexts, comparatively little attention has been given to developing models that account for the specific conditions of developing countries and distinct cultural contexts. A convergent mixed-methods approach was employed in Bhutan to investigate the factors that facilitate or hinder ICT acceptance and use in teaching, utilizing an adapted version of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model. Data were collected through interviews and surveys. The survey was administered to 90 teacher educators, while semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 teacher educators teaching in teacher education colleges in Bhutan. The quantitative survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while the qualitative interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the enabling factors were performance expectancy, social influence, attitude, ICT usage, and Bhutanese cultural values such as gyelkhap lu tha dam tshig (loyalty, dedication, and commitment of a person to the nation), interdependent collective culture which resembles tenchingdrelwa (the idea that all living beings are connected through lives and time) and zhenphen ( Buddhist value of selfless intent and action to help each other). The constraints faced included effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and system rigidity due to prescribed curriculum, power distance and mandatory ICT use. Based on these factors, a culturally relevant theoretical framework of teacher educators’ ICT acceptance and use in Bhutan and similar cultural contexts was proposed to maximise ICT uptake in teaching.