Introduction
How do digital competences, self-organization, and independent learning abilities influence students’ acceptance of digital learning?
Theoretical background
Digital learning and students’ dispositions
Technology acceptance and resistance
Hypotheses development
Digital competences
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H1a: Information and data literacy competences of students have a positive influence on their perceived ease of using digital technologies for learning.
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H1b: Communication and collaboration competences of students have a positive influence on their perceived ease of using digital technologies for learning.
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H1c: Digital content creation competences of students have a positive influence on their perceived ease of using digital technologies for learning.
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H1d: Safety and security competences of students have a positive influence on their perceived ease of using digital technologies for learning.
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H1e: Problem-solving competences of students have a positive influence on their perceived ease of using digital technologies for learning.
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H1f: Analyzing and reflecting competences of students have a positive influence on their perceived ease of using digital technologies for learning.
Self-organization abilities
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H2a: General self-organization abilities have a positive influence on the perceived usefulness of digital learning.
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H2b: Self-organization abilities during digital learning have a positive influence on the perceived usefulness of digital learning.
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H3a: General self-organization abilities have a positive influence on the attitude toward digital learning.
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H3b: Self-organization abilities during digital learning have a positive influence on the attitude toward digital learning.
Independent learning abilities
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H4: Independent learning abilities have a positive influence on the perceived usefulness of digital learning.
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H5: Independent learning abilities have a positive influence on the attitude toward digital learning.
Resistance to digital learning
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H6: The attitude toward digital learning has a negative influence on the resistance to digital learning.
Technology acceptance model
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H7: The perceived ease of using digital technologies for learning has a positive influence on the perceived usefulness of digital learning.
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H8: The perceived ease of using digital technologies for learning has a positive influence on the attitude toward digital learning.
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H9: The perceived usefulness of digital learning has a positive influence on the attitude toward digital learning.
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H10: The perceived usefulness of digital learning has a positive influence on the behavioral intention to use digital technologies for learning.
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H11: The attitude toward digital learning has a positive influence on the behavioral intention to use digital technologies for learning.
Materials and methods
Study design
Measures and procedure
Concept/Context | Construct | Measurement scale source |
---|---|---|
TAM | Perceived usefulness | Modified from Lee et al. (2005) |
Perceived ease of use | Modified from Lee et al. (2005) | |
Attitude toward using | Modified and further developed from Vladova et al. (2021) | |
Behavioral intention to use | Modified from Lee et al. (2005) | |
Digital competences | Information and data literacy | Adopted from Rubach and Lazarides (2021) |
Communication and collaboration | Adopted from Rubach and Lazarides (2021) | |
Digital content creation | Adopted from Rubach and Lazarides (2021) | |
Safety and security | Adopted from Rubach and Lazarides (2021) | |
Problem-solving | Adopted from Rubach and Lazarides (2021) | |
Analyzing and reflecting | Adopted and modified from Rubach and Lazarides (2021) | |
Self-organization abilities | General self-organization abilities | Adopted from Klein et al. (2021) |
Self-organization abilities during digital learning | Adopted and modified from Klein et al. (2021) | |
Independent learning abilities | Independent learning abilities | Adopted from Macaskill and Taylor (2010) |
User resistance | User resistance | Modified from Kim and Kankanhalli (2009) |
Demographic variable | Data |
---|---|
Sex | |
Female | 196 (56%) |
Male | 154 (44%) |
Age (years) (mean = 23.62, SD = 5.955) | |
< 20 | 51 (14.6%) |
20–24 | 210 (60%) |
25–30 | 63 (18%) |
> 30 | 26 (7.4%) |
Nationality | |
South Africa | 113 (32.3%) |
Portugal | 36 (10.3%) |
Italy | 30 (8.6%) |
Poland | 23 (6.6%) |
Spain | 18 (5.1%) |
Other | 130 (37.1%) |
Current education level | |
Undergraduate degree | 230 (65.7%) |
Graduate degree | 120 (34.3%) |
Study subject | |
Engineering | 31 (8.9%) |
Computer Science | 29 (8.3%) |
Accounting | 22 (6.3%) |
Computing (IT) | 20 (5.7%) |
Business | 16 (4.6%) |
Other | 232 (66.3%) |
Data analysis
Measurement validity
Descriptive information on model constructs
Construct | Min | Max | Mean | SD |
---|---|---|---|---|
Perceived usefulness | 1 | 5 | 3.41 | 0.929 |
Perceived ease of use | 1 | 5 | 3.90 | 0.731 |
Attitude toward using | 1 | 5 | 2.66 | 1.003 |
Behavioral intention to use | 1 | 5 | 3.86 | 0.777 |
Information and data literacy | 3 | 5 | 4.17 | 0.502 |
Communication and collaboration | 2 | 5 | 4.12 | 0.713 |
Digital content creation | 1 | 5 | 3.88 | 0.734 |
Safety and security | 2 | 5 | 4.05 | 0.617 |
Problem-solving I | 2 | 5 | 4.21 | 0.511 |
Problem-solving II | 1 | 5 | 3.37 | 0.887 |
Analyzing and reflecting | 1 | 5 | 3.80 | 0.616 |
General self-organization abilities | 1 | 5 | 3.65 | 0.833 |
Self-organization abilities during digital learning | 1 | 5 | 2.92 | 0.994 |
Independent learning abilities | 3 | 5 | 4.17 | 0.483 |
User resistance | 1 | 5 | 2.55 | 0.952 |
Results
Hypothesis | Coefficient constant | Coefficient independent variable | P-value | Test result |
---|---|---|---|---|
H1a: Information and data literacy ➔ PEOU | 1.847 | 0.491 | 0.000 | Confirmed |
H1b: Communication and collaboration ➔ PEOU | 2.593 | 0.241 | 0.000 | Confirmed |
H1c: Digital content creation ➔ PEOU | 2.894 | 0.259 | 0.000 | Confirmed |
H1d: Safety and security ➔ PEOU | 2.694 | 0.297 | 0.000 | Confirmed |
H1e: Problem-solving I ➔ PEOU | 1.528 | 0.563 | 0.000 | Confirmed |
H1f: Problem-solving II ➔ PEOU | 3.564 | 0.099 | 0.025 | Confirmed |
H1g: Analyzing and reflecting ➔ PEOU | 2.741 | 0.305 | 0.000 | Confirmed |
H2a: General self-organization abilities ➔ PU | 2.723 | 0.188 | 0.002 | Confirmed |
H2b: Self-organization abilities during digital learning ➔ PU | 2.103 | 0.447 | 0.000 | Confirmed |
H3a: General self-organization abilities ➔ ATT | 2.395 | 0.074 | 0.252 | Not confirmed |
H3b: Self-organization abilities during digital learning ➔ ATT | 1.300 | 0.468 | 0.000 | Confirmed |
H4: Independent learning abilities ➔ PU | 2.053 | 0.325 | 0.002 | Confirmed |
H5: Independent learning abilities ➔ ATT | 1.937 | 0.175 | 0.116 | Not confirmed |
H6: ATT ➔ User resistance | 3.990 | − 0.539 | 0.000 | Confirmed |
H7: PEOU ➔ PU | 1.817 | 0.408 | 0.000 | Confirmed |
H8: PEOU ➔ ATT | 1.389 | 0.327 | 0.000 | Confirmed |
H9: PU ➔ ATT | 0.507 | 0.633 | 0.000 | Confirmed |
H10: PU ➔ BI | 2.372 | 0.438 | 0.000 | Confirmed |
H11: ATT ➔ BI | 2.856 | 0.379 | 0.000 | Confirmed |
Construct | R2 | Coefficient |
---|---|---|
0.197 | ||
Information and data literacy | 0.236** | |
Communication and collaboration | 0.046 | |
Digital content creation | 0.095 | |
Safety and security | 0.097 | |
Problem-solving I (Operation and usage) | 0.322*** | |
Problem-solving II (Comprehension and development) | − 0.075 | |
Analyzing and reflecting | 0.040 |
Construct | R2 | Coefficient |
---|---|---|
0.275 | ||
Perceived ease of use | 0.265*** | |
Independent learning abilities | 0.061 | |
General self-organization abilities | − 0.065 | |
Self-organization abilities during digital learning | 0.415*** |
Construct | R2 | Coefficient |
---|---|---|
0.409 | ||
Perceived ease of use | 0.038 | |
Perceived usefulness | 0.494*** | |
Independent learning abilities | − 0.059 | |
General self-organization abilities | − 0.179** | |
Self-organization abilities during digital learning | 0.316*** |
Construct | R2 | Coefficient |
---|---|---|
0.325 | ||
Attitude toward using | 0.214*** | |
Perceived usefulness | 0.303*** |