Investigating Factors Influencing the Adoption of E-learning: Saudi Students’ Perspective

This research aimed at investigating the factors influencing students’ intention to adopt e-learning as a supplementary tool (BIS) and for distance education (BID). A model based on the theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1985) was developed in which the students’ attitude (AT), Subjective Norm (SN) and Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC) were proposed as determinants of the students’ behavioural intention to adopt e-learning (BI). The model hypothesised that gender and internet experience moderate the effects of these factors. The model also suggested some factors as antecedents to AT, SN and PBC. The study adopted a mixed methods approach, involving two small-scale qualitative phases and one major quantitative phase. The samples were drawn from students at a Saudi University. The results revealed that the model explained 20% of the students’ BIS and 41% of the students’ BID. Moreover, the results revealed that PBC, or the students’ perceptions of the existence of constraints that can hamper their adoption of e-learning, was the most significant factor influencing their BIS and BID. Furthermore, for the adoption of e-learning to supplement the face-to-face study, SN or the students’ perceptions of the social pressures put on them to adopt e-learning, was the second important factor influencing their decision, followed by AT. On the other hand, in the context of adopting e-learning for distance education, AT was more significant than the students’ SN. In addition, gender was found to only moderate the link between PBC and BID. Internet experience was found to moderate the link between AT and BIS as well as the link between PBC and BID. The findings showed that e-learning perceived Ease of Use, Usefulness, Interactivity and Flexibility determined AT. The beliefs of the students’ peers, family and instructors were found to shape their SN. Perceived Accessibility was the most significant antecedent of PBC, followed by Internet Self-Efficacy and finally, University Support. Moreover, the students did not show differences in BIS when they were compared, based on some selected demographics, while they showed differences in BID when they were compared on the same demographics. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with six students to shed light on some of the results.