An investigation of the factors affecting behavioral intention to use e-learning systems among state university undergraduates in sri lanka: an application of extended technology acceptance model (tam)

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the antecedents of behavioral intention to use e-learning systems among state university undergraduates using widely accepted model (TAM) with knowledge acquisition and knowledge sharing. Methodology: This research tested conceptual framework derived from widely accepted theories. Questionnaire were based on snowball sample method and was taken from 410 undergraduates from state universities in Sri-Lanka. The suggested research model was tested by using quantitative way of Regression Analysis to examine the proposed hypothesis of this inquiry. Findings: This empirical study indicated that, Knowledge Acquisition, Knowledge sharing, Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use contributes significant direct effect on students Behavioral Intention to adopt e-learning system and actual system usage. The Findings also suggested knowledge acquisition and knowledge sharing have significant positive influence on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use (F= 197.253; P < 0.05) and predicts 66.4% of the variation found. Further, all 11 hypothesized impacts were supported. The evidence from these results provides holistic insights which could assist the policy-makers and educators to better understand the factors affecting the adoption of e-learning systems. Research Limitations:The data collected from a sample of students enrolled in caution should be exercised when generalizing the results to the entire higher educational institutions in Sri-Lanka. For future research, it would be more useful to validate the model using a sample of students from different academic institutions. Implications: A questionnaire survey was comprising two parts, first contained items for demographic information of the respondents and the second part comprises items to measure each of five constructs: knowledge acquisition (5), knowledge sharing (5), perceived usefulness (5), perceived ease of use (5), behavioral intention (5) Actual System Usage (3). The Findings drawn from this study have implications for theory and practice. Theoretically, this study contributes to furthering our understanding of technology acceptance models through extension of TAM with two prominent factors from knowledge management field, Arguably, this study determines the relationship between knowledge management factors and technology acceptance models in general, and the extension of TAM with these factors in the e-learning context in specific. Practically, policy-makers and educators could take a leaf from the results of this study to implement an innovative e-learning system that could enable the students to acquire and share knowledge in anytime anywhere settings.