DOES ANXIETY IMPEDE VLE ADOPTION INTENTIONS OF STATE UNIVERSITY LECTURERS? - A STUDY BASED ON MODIFIED UTAUT FRAMEWORK

Abstract

Purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of technology adoption in higher educational contexts. More precisely, this study would examine the significance of technology anxiety within the UTAUT framework in determining VLE adoption intentions of non-users from the perspective of Sri Lankan state university lecturers. A developing country like Sri Lanka can potentially expand higher education sector potentials through ICT integration in the state universities. Thus, a better understanding of university staff attitudes and perceptions about educational technologies such as VLEs is essential for effective use of these technologies which intern offer prolific payoffs. Quantitative methodology was used for primary data collection. QuestionPro online survey tool was employed to send out questionnaires of which returned with 219 valid responses. A unit of the sample was a university lecturer who fit to survey criteria of Non-VLE usage. SPSS and AMOS software was used to analyze data in terms of descriptive and hypotheses testing using structured equation modelling. By adding the technology anxiety as an external component (i.e., affection) to UTAUT factors (mainly cognitive and behavioral), this study enhanced the response power of the framework in determining adoption intention of non-users in the study context. Further, the theorized relationships between UTAUT factors and technology anxiety would fulfil the gap in the lack of literature that connects affective, cognitive components to predict technology adoption in the presence of demographics such as lecturer’s age and gender. Results of the study reveal that performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, has a positive correlation with VLE adoption intention, while technology anxiety confirms its significant negative effect on the same. Further, it was found that technology anxiety has positive effects on both performance expectancy and effort expectancy although one variable (PE) indicate a mediation effect. However, the effect of technology anxiety on all hypothesized relationships was moderated by lecturer’s age and gender. Article visualizations: