The determinants of teachers’ continuance commitment to e-learning in higher education

Abstract

Technological evolution involves a challenge for teachers and higher education institutions to achieve e-learning success. This paper addresses this issue from the teachers’ perspective to reveal what characteristics of the e-learning system affect teachers’ continuance commitment and contribute to the increase and permanence of e-learning programmes. This study investigates possible relationships among intrinsic and extrinsic variables (self-efficacy beliefs, system quality and organisational impact) and teachers’ continuance commitment. Based on previous information systems and e-learning research literature, this study presents an extended version of the Information System Success Model. The PLS-SEM method was employed to analyse the data collected from a probabilistic representative sample of 90 online teachers, 54% of them are male from different ages and teaching disciplines, and 78.6% of them are full-time teachers. Results show that having a well-established learning management system in the institution reinforces the instructors’ commitment. Institutions should build a learning environment that fits instructors’ needs, develop a creative, collaborative, secure, friendly and up-to-date platform with quality interactions between learners and instructors. Apart from offering good system quality and technical assistance, perceived organisational impact reveals as a key to achieving teachers’ commitment to e-learning.