Mechanisms influencing Chinese senior faculty's intention to engage in volunteer teaching and policy implications

As China's population continues to age, effectively harnessing the human resources of its elderly population has become a critical strategic direction for the nation's medium-to-long-term development. Against this backdrop, college and university silver-age teachers - retired senior intellectuals from institutions of higher education with extensive experience in teaching and research - represent high-quality intellectual resources. Their participation and sustained dedication to voluntary teaching initiatives are pivotal to unlocking the potential of senior talents and advancing the balanced development of education. Current policy practices face a central puzzle: Why do some silver-age teachers choose to continue contributing in recipient areas after their terms end, while others depart? To uncover the psychological factors underlying this phenomenon, this study integrates Norm Activation Model (NAM) with the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Using respondent-driven sampling to collect data from university silver-age teachers participating in the program, we employ structural equation modeling (SEM) to validate variable pathways. The aim is to elucidate the intrinsic mechanisms driving their initial participation and long-term retention intentions. Results indicate that personal norms serve as the core mediating variable driving volunteer teaching commitment, exerting a significant positive effect on volunteer teaching intention. Problem perception, outcome efficacy, and subjective norms all indirectly enhance teaching commitment by reinforcing personal norms, with outcome efficacy significantly influencing subjective norms. This study reveals the transmission logic of "external cognition-norm internalization-behavioral intention," providing theoretical and practical references for optimizing senior volunteer teaching policies, planning teacher volunteer pathways, and constructing interactive ecosystems for recipient communities.