The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Acceptance of E-Learning among University Students: The Role of Precipitating Events

Autor/inn/en	Weerathunga, Prageeth Roshan; Samarathunga, W. H. M. S.; Rathnayake, H. N.; Agampodi, S. B.; Nurunnabi, Mohammad; Madhunimasha, M. M. S. C.
Titel	The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Acceptance of E-Learning among University Students: The Role of Precipitating Events
Quelle	In: Education Sciences, 11 (2021), Artikel 436 (23 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Weerathunga, Prageeth Roshan) ORCID (Samarathunga, W. H. M. S.) ORCID (Nurunnabi, Mohammad)
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2227-7102
Schlagwörter	COVID-19; Pandemics; School Closing; Distance Education; Electronic Learning; Educational Technology; Foreign Countries; Intention; Student Behavior; Student Attitudes; Predictor Variables; Difficulty Level; Barriers; Disease Control; Undergraduate Students; Self Efficacy; Value Judgment; Sri Lanka + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? School closings; Schule; Schließung; Schließung (von Schulen); Distance study; Distance learning; Fernunterricht; Unterrichtsmedien; Ausland; Student behaviour; Schülerverhalten; Prädiktor; Schwierigkeitsgrad; Self-efficacy; Selbstwirksamkeit; Werturteil; Ceylon
Abstract	This study examined the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and related events on the use of e-learning, as well as other key determinants of it. The data were collected from 1039 university students in Sri Lanka. To examine the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was viewed through the lens of precipitating events, on the intention--behaviour relationship, we employed the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with the inclusion of a moderating variable. While the findings indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic had clearly increased the usage of e-learning, we found no evidence to establish a moderating impact on the intention-behaviour relationship. The empirical model, however, was well fitted to the data, and the key components of the TAM were likewise adequately described by the relevant predictors. Furthermore, attitudes toward e-learning and perceived ease of use emerged as the most important factors in explaining behavioural intention, whereas relevance and experience were shown to be more significant in relation to perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Our work is significant because it adds to the existing empirical evidence on e-learning and supports the relevance of TAM in understanding the usage of e-learning even in extreme situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Our research has significant implications for educators and other higher education authorities. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01