E-learning adoption for sustainable higher education

Abstract

Electronic learning (E-L) is a profound transition that is occurring in education as a new learning platform in countries across the globe. COVID-19 pandemic has forced all higher education institutions in Sri Lanka to adopt e-learning to maintain sustainable teaching. This study identified the relationships between the main influencing factors of e-learning usage behaviour and, in turn, sustainability in teaching. Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was used to formulate the research framework and hypotheses. The population of the study was comprised of permanent academics attached to Sri Lankan public universities under the patronage of UGC. The sample size was 357 for the given population size of 5399, and a stratified sampling technique was used to select the sample. The study used a quantitative method under the philosophical assumption of positivism. The researchers have applied Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to test the path association among factors. The result explores the path relationship between exogenous and mediating variables, mediating to an endogenous variable. The research outcome shows that attitude and perceived behavioural control influence e-learning usage but not the subjective norm. While behavioural intention mediates the relationship between attitude and perceived behavioural control and e-learning usage, the latter mediates the association between behavioural intention and sustainability in teaching. Gender, academic position and computer literacy level moderate the causal relationships of the factors influencing sustainability in teaching. Finally, this study concludes that Attitude, Perceived Behavioural Control, Behavioural Intention and E-learning Usage Behaviour are the factors influencing sustainability in teaching. This study recommends universities develop infrastructures, train staff members and establish an office for sustainability development. Furthermore, it recommends that future researchers do longitudinal studies and adopt decomposed TPB.