Digital Transformation of Education: The Phenomenon, Causes and Mitigation Strategies of the Digital Divide among University Teachers

Abstract

In the context of the in-depth implementation of the national strategies of “Digital China” and “Education Digitalization”, the digital transformation of higher education has become an inevitable and long-term trend. University teachers, as the core agents of this transformation, are increasingly confronted with an internal digital divide that has evolved from a simple disparity in hardware access to a multidimensional gap in sensitivity, application, and innovation capabilities. This internal divide has emerged as a key bottleneck restricting the depth, equity, and quality of digital reform in universities. Focusing on university teachers as a specific professional group, this paper systematically examines the manifestations of the digital divide across multiple dimensions, including digital awareness, mastery of digital tools, integration of technology into teaching practice, innovative pedagogical applications, and adherence to digital ethics. It further explores the complex and interrelated causes of these disparities from individual, organizational, institutional, and broader environmental perspectives. Drawing on national strategic requirements and the regional development context of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the study proposes a systematic mitigation framework encompassing top-level design, precise and differentiated support mechanisms, the cultivation of a supportive digital culture and ecology, and cross-level collaborative innovation. The aim is to provide robust theoretical references and operable practical pathways for effectively empowering university teachers and promoting connotative, equitable, and high-quality development of higher education through sustained digital transformation.