Digital Competence of Chinese Elementary School English Teachers Under the New Curriculum Standards: A Systematic Literature Review from a Human Resource Management Perspective

Abstract

From a human resource management (HRM) perspective, this study employs a systematic literature review methodology to analyze existing literature on the digital competence of Chinese elementary school English teachers in the context of the new curriculum standards. It addresses three core questions: How is this competence defined? What factors influence its development? How can training, performance evaluation, and incentive mechanisms enhance this competence from an HRM perspective? Based on a rigorous screening of 216 initial articles, 17 high-quality empirical studies were ultimately included for thematic analysis and keyword co-occurrence analysis. The results indicate that digital competence can be integrated into three dimensions: knowledge, skills, and attitudes. From an HRM perspective, the knowledge dimension—encompassing knowledge of technological tools, TPACK integration, data literacy, and digital security ethics—is closely related to the content design of Training & Development (T&D); the skills dimension—which includes digital resource development, technology-integrated instructional design, data-driven assessment, and collaborative teaching and research—corresponds to competency standards and behavioral evaluations within Performance Management; the attitudes dimension— encompassing awareness of technology adoption, proactive professional development, a sense of responsibility regarding digital ethics, and the courage to innovate in teaching—is associated with incentive mechanisms and the shaping of organizational culture. Individual factors (educational background, years of teaching experience, self-efficacy), school organizational factors (leadership, culture, training systems), and policy and institutional factors (national standards, resource allocation) collectively influence the development of this competency, while elements such as data literacy and digital infrastructure constitute the macro-environment. From an HRM perspective, systematic training, scientific performance evaluation, and effective incentive mechanisms are key pathways to enhancing teachers’ digital competence, and the three are synergistic. While existing literature has proposed various reform measures, most scholars believe that a single policy cannot fully address the challenges of integrating digital technology with elementary English instruction; there is an urgent need for multidimensional, systematic, and comprehensive reform. Future research should incorporate more variables at the teacher, school, and policy levels to further examine the implementation effects of different HRM measures, thereby responding to the growing demands of China’s new curriculum standards.