Institutional and Demographic Predictors of Teachers’ Positive Perceptions of 4IR Technologies for Professional Development

Abstract

Although Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies are increasingly promoted in education, their adoption for teacher professional development (PD) remains uneven. One key challenge is the limited understanding of what makes teachers receptive to these technologies. This quantitative study investigates how institutional and demographic characteristics shape teachers’ perceptions of 4IR tools for PD. Data were collected from 202 secondary school teachers. School location and type were not significant predictors. Instead, behavioral and career-related factors played a more influential role. Teachers with twenty-one to twenty-five years of experience reported significantly lower levels of positivity toward 4IR technologies, suggesting possible tensions with established professional identities. Teachers holding master’s degrees demonstrated a more critical stance toward these tools. These findings suggest that barriers to adoption are less about infrastructure and more connected to social and psychological factors, particularly career-stage identity and critical academic engagement. The study highlights the need for a human-centered approach to PD that moves beyond uniform promotion strategies toward targeted support for specific teacher subgroups.