WHEN MORE IS LESS: THE INVERTED U-RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT AND TEACHER TECHNOLOGICAL SELF-EFFICACY

1 July 2026


Huu Hoang Nguyen - English Department, Hanoi University, Vietnam https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8131-0434
Abstract

This study challenges the prevailing assumption that greater institutional support invariably enhances teacher technological self-efficacy by testing for non-linear relationships in Vietnamese university EFL contexts. Using sequential mixed methods, 245 EFL teachers from eight universities completed the Technology Integration Self-Efficacy Scale, followed by semi-structured interviews with 18 participants. Polynomial regression revealed a significant inverted U-relationship between institutional support and self-efficacy (quadratic term β = −.23, p < .01), with moderate-resource institutions demonstrating highest teacher confidence (M = 4.15) compared to both high-resource (M = 3.76) and limited-resource contexts (M = 3.56). Thematic analysis identified three mechanisms explaining this pattern: support dependency in high-resource settings undermining autonomous confidence, experiential mastery blockage when extensive assistance eliminates productive struggle, and cultural amplification through face-saving dynamics intensifying performance anxiety. These findings are consistent with a boundary condition on self-efficacy theory, indicating that optimal rather than maximal support is associated with stronger confidence development, a pattern that calls resource-maximisation policies in educational technology implementation into question. The study demonstrates that moderate institutional support preserves productive challenges necessary for authentic mastery experiences while avoiding both resource deprivation and dependency-inducing excess.

Keywords
EFL teachers; Institutional support; Inverted U-relationship; Support dependency; Technological self-efficacy.
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How to cite this article
Nguyen, H. H. (2026). When more is less: The inverted U-relationship between institutional support and teacher technological self-efficacy. Journal of Linguistic and Intercultural Education – JoLIE, 19(1), 97–120. https://doi.org/10.29302/jolie.2026.19.1.5