TITLE:
Beyond Digital Proficiency: Enablers of Teachers’ Technology-Supported Action Research and Classroom Innovation in Philippine Basic Education
AUTHORS:
Justene Supiengco, Reymar Radam, Rommel Robin, Ronnel Go Alicer, Roanne Shyn B. Tampus, Joy M. Olarte
KEYWORDS:
Technology Integration, Action Research Productivity, Classroom Innovation, Teacher Research, PLS-SEM
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.10,
October
9,
2026
ABSTRACT: Philippine basic education has invested heavily in digital transformation, yet teachers’ capacity to convert technology into research productivity and classroom innovation remains uneven, context-dependent, and undertheorized. This study examined the role of technology in strengthening teachers’ action research practices by integrating two integrative frameworks developed for this study, the Technology-Integration Competence Theory (TICT) and the Action Research Digital Integration Theory (ARDIT), in Department of Education (DepEd) Region VIII, Philippines. Using an exploratory research design, data were collected from 211 basic education teachers from urban and rural schools during Academic Year 2025-2026 through a structured survey questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in WarpPLS, with the sample exceeding the G*Power minimum requirement of 119 respondents for the largest three-predictor equations (146 under a more conservative six-predictor specification). The measurement model demonstrated strong psychometric properties, with indicator loadings of 0.800 to 0.942, Cronbach’s alpha of 0.875 to 0.950, composite reliability of 0.909 to 0.962, and AVE of 0.667 to 0.835, while the Fornell-Larcker criterion and HTMT ratios confirmed discriminant validity. Teachers reported highly positive perceptions across all eight constructs, with Technology Tools Proficiency obtaining the highest mean (4.84) and Data Accessibility the lowest (4.25). The structural model showed strong overall quality (Tenenhaus GoF = 0.617) and substantial explained variance for Digital Resource Utilization (R2 = 0.525) and Technology-Based Classroom Innovation (R2 = 0.552). Four of the seven hypothesized paths were supported: Ease of Use Perception (β = 0.342, p p p p