Diffusion of Innovation and Use of Technology in Hospitality Education: An Empirical Assessment with Multilevel Analyses of Learning Effectiveness

Abstract

The present study undertook a multilevel analysis on how school administrators’ view of the diffusion of adopting technologies in instruction at school level affected teachers’ acceptance of the use of these technologies in actual teaching, which, hypothetically, in turn influences students’ learning effectiveness. Thirteen Taiwanese high schools with hospitality programmes were surveyed using two theoretical frameworks: diffusion of innovation theory (DOI) and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. A series of stepwise multiple regressions were administered, and the results showed that among the variables of DOI within a school, only efforts of promotion was significant for the annual budget allocated to innovative technology-based instruction; this effect was negative. With regard to teachers’ adoption of technology, effort expectancy was significantly linked to behavioural intention, which also affected actual use of technology in instruction. Students’ motivation and self-efficacy were both significant for learning effectiveness. In terms of multilevel moderations, school’s budget allocated to innovative technology-based instruction was found to significantly influence the variables of facilitating condition and behavioural intention at teacher level, which had no moderating effect on students’ learning.