Model and empirical analysis of the validation model of sustainable development competence of college teachers under the perspective of digital literacy

Purpose The purpose of this study is to construct a model for testing the sustainable development competence of college teachers from the perspective of digital literacy. The model will then be analyzed empirically to provide new ideas for exploring improvements in talent cultivation quality in higher education. Design/methodology/approach This study employed a questionnaire survey using the self-compiled “University Faculty Sustainable Development Capability Scale.” Through stratified random sampling, valid responses were collected from 160 university faculty members across three comprehensive universities in eastern, central, and western China. Independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA were employed to assess faculty sustainability competency levels, supplemented by effect size reporting and multiple comparison corrections. Model validity and reliability were systematically validated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, along with measurement invariance testing. Findings The results of this study indicate that university teachers’ competence in sustainable development is uneven. Key factors that constrain the level of sustainable development competence of university teachers include dimensional imbalance and uneven distribution of university resources. To address this issue, the government and universities should improve the sustainable development competence of university teachers by allocating resources more evenly, improving training mechanisms and optimizing incentive mechanisms. Research limitations/implications The model’s data source is the recovered questionnaires. Although the questionnaires are designed to be rigorous, teachers’ responses will be biased by their subjective perceptions, which may lead to overestimation. Teachers may also be influenced by societal expectations, leading to biased results. Currently, model validation is based on data from three comprehensive universities in China, and its generalizability requires further testing. Originality/value This study introduces a new testing model for evaluating faculty sustainability in higher education. It also sheds light on the factors that influence faculty sustainability.