Behavioral Intention to Use Online Learning During COVID-19 : An Analysis of the Technology Acceptance Model

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the conventional face-to-face classroom lectures have shifted to online setting. By applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study investigates the factors affecting university students’ behavioral intention to use online learning for formal educational purposes. Specifically, the study examines the effects of two external factors namely, technological competency and subjective norm on two TAM constructs: perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. In addition, the present study examines the effects of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness on behavioral intention to use online learning. With an online-based survey using a structured questionnaire, this study collects data from 200 university students residing in Bangladesh and Malaysia. After applying structural equation modeling (SEM) technique for data analysis, results related to external factors reveal that technological competency has significant positive impact on perceived ease of use, whereas subjective norm positively and significantly affects both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Furthermore, with regards to the core variables of TAM, perceived ease of use significantly and positively impacts perceived usefulness. Finally, both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness have significant positive effects on behavioral intention to use online learning among Bangladeshi and Malaysian university students during the pandemic. Findings of the current study establish the importance of social and technological factors on online learning acceptance which can have significant implications not only for future researchers but also for policymakers and practitioners in designing an effective online learning system for educational institutions