SUSTAINABLE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A THEORETICAL MODEL LINKING ICT, INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT AND TEACHERS’ QUALITY OF WORK LIFE

Povzetek

Digital transformation has become an integral part of higher education, influencing teaching, learning, assessment, communication and institutional administration. However, the sustainability of digital transformation depends not only on the availability and use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), but also on the institutional environment in which teachers work. The theoretical paper examines the relationship between ICT integration, institutional support and Quality of Work Life (QWL) of teachers in the framework of sustainable digital transformation in higher education. Based on Socio-Technical Systems Theory, Job Demands-Resources Theory, and Organisational Support Theory, the paper develops a comprehensive theoretical model describing how technological and organisational factors shape teachers' work experiences. The model proposes that effective ICT integration may improve professional efficiency, flexibility, and teaching practices and that inadequate technological resources and excessive digital demands can add workload and work-related pressures. Leadership, technical assistance, professional development, workload management and participatory decision-making are therefore institutional support that is put in the category of enabling mechanisms. The paper further proposes teachers’ QWL as a key link between ICT-supported institutional practices and sustainable digital transformation. The model provides a human-centred way to understand digital change and offers a theoretical foundation for future empirical research and institutional policy development.