Novel extension of the UTAUT model to assess e-learning adoption in higher education institutes: The role of study-life quality

Abstract

The study aims to improve the existing unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) framework to understand the adoption of e-learning platforms in developing countries and to understand the relevance of the quality of study life among students. The constructs for the UTAUT model were chosen based on the e-learning study context and expanded with the variable study-life quality. The expanded model was tested with empirical data collected from graduate and post-graduate students of higher education institutes. The hypotheses testing and adequacy of the expanded model were analysed using structural equation modeling using SmartPLS v 3.2.8. The study’s findings indicate that nine out of the twelve hypothesized paths significantly influenced students’ engagement with e-learning platforms, and a total of six significant variables explained a variance of 65.8% of the dependent variable behavioral intention. The variable study-life quality had the highest β coefficient value of 0.380, indicating that it is the most significant factor for e-learning adoption in this study setting. The study adds to the publication on adoption theories by providing an expanded UTAUT framework that is empirically tested.