Teachers' acceptance and use of an educational portal

In this study, teachers' acceptance and use of an educational portal is assessed based on data from two sources: usage data (number of logins, downloads, uploads, reactions and pages viewed) and an online acceptance questionnaire. The usage data is extracted on two occasions from the portal's database: at survey completion (T1) and twenty-two months later (T2). Framework for this study is C-TAM-TPB (Combined Technology Acceptance Model and Theory of Planned Behavior). 919 usable responses from teachers are obtained. Based on the observed use data at T1, four types of portal users are distinguished: 'new' (N = 37), 'light' (N = 641), 'medium' (N = 201), and 'heavy' (N = 40). Path analyses show that all predictor variables in C-TAM-TPB influence teachers' portal acceptance, but their significance level varies depending on the user type. The strongest predictors of behavioral intention to use the portal are attitude ('new') and perceived usefulness ('light', 'medium' and 'heavy'), with variance explained ranging from .39 ('medium') to .71 ('heavy'). The observed use data show that the portal is primarily used to search for and download material, rather than for sharing material or information. The use data at T2 show that teachers become more efficient in their search behavior and that the majority of the teachers use the portal more frequently. Guidelines are proposed to policymakers and school boards aiming to introduce a similar technology to teachers.

[1]  Yan Xu,et al.  An Enhanced Technology Acceptance Model for Web-Based Learning , 2004, J. Inf. Syst. Educ..

[2]  Gohar Feroz Khan,et al.  E-learning Motivation and Educational Portal Acceptance in Developing Countries , 2011, Online Inf. Rev..

[3]  Heila Pienaar.  Design and Development of an Academic Portal , 2003 .

[4]  S. Kaur,et al.  Development of a networking education portal for secondary education communities in Malaysia , 2006, 2006 International Conference on Computing & Informatics.

[5]  E. D. Bruyne,et al.  Agency of classroom settings: The influence of ICT , 2011 .

[6]  Fred D. Davis,et al.  Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation to Use Computers in the Workplace1 , 1992 .

[7]  Neil Butcher.  Best Practice in Education Portals , 2003 .

[8]  Neil Butcher.  Best Practice in Education Portals: Research Document Prepared for The Commonwealth of Learning and SchoolNet Africa , 2002 .

[9]  Paul Jen-Hwa Hu,et al.  Investigating healthcare professionals' decisions to accept telemedicine technology: an empirical test of competing theories , 2002, Inf. Manag..

[10]  Martin Mulder,et al.  Determining factors of the use of e-learning environments by university teachers , 2008, Comput. Educ..

[11]  Bram Pynoo,et al.  Attitude as a Measure for Acceptance: Monitoring IS Implementation in a Hospital Setting , 2007 .

[12]  Peggy A. Ertmer,et al.  Teacher value beliefs associated with using technology: Addressing professional and student needs , 2010, Comput. Educ..

[13]  Timothy Teo,et al.  Understanding pre-service teachers' computer attitudes: applying and extending the technology acceptance model , 2007, J. Comput. Assist. Learn..

[14]  Timothy Teo,et al.  Assessing the intention to use technology among pre-service teachers in Singapore and Malaysia: A multigroup invariance analysis of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) , 2009, Comput. Educ..

[15]  Viswanath Venkatesh,et al.  Predicting Different Conceptualizations of System Use: The Competing Roles of Behavioral Intention, Facilitating Conditions, and Behavioral Expectation , 2008, MIS Q..

[16]  Carlos Soares,et al.  Factor Analysis to Support the Visualization and Interpretation of Clusters of Portal Users , 2006, 2006 IEEE/WIC/ACM International Conference on Web Intelligence (WI 2006 Main Conference Proceedings)(WI'06).

[17]  Xavier Drèze,et al.  A Study of Consumer Switching Behavior Across Internet Portal Web Sites , 2003, Int. J. Electron. Commer..

[18]  M. Valcke,et al.  Explaining different types of computer use among primary school teachers , 2004 .

[19]  Johan van Braak,et al.  Factors influencing the use of computer mediated communication by teachers in secondary schools , 2001, Comput. Educ..

[20]  Viswanath Venkatesh,et al.  Enterprise System Implementation: Personality, System-Related Advice Networks and Job Performance , 2007, ICIS.

[21]  Bram Pynoo,et al.  Personality, Technology Belief Contexts and Acceptance: Framework and Empirical Testing , 2008, ICIS.

[22]  Timothy Teo,et al.  Technology Acceptance in Education: Research and issues , 2011 .

[23]  D. Prowe.  Berlin , 1855, Journal of public health, and sanitary review.

[24]  P. Abrami,et al.  Implementing Computer Technologies: Teachers' Perceptions and Practices , 2006 .

[25]  Fred D. Davis,et al.  The Accuracy of Behavioral Intention Versus Behavioral Expectation for Predicting Behavioral Goals , 1985 .

[26]  P. Bentler,et al.  Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis : Conventional criteria versus new alternatives , 1999 .

[27]  Luqi,et al.  Intranet portal model and metrics: a strategic management perspective , 2005, IT Professional.

[28]  Christopher Rhodes,et al.  A Practical Guide to Mentoring, Coaching and Peer-networking: Teacher Professional Development in Schools and Colleges , 2004 .

[29]  I. Ajzen,et al.  Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior , 1980 .

[30]  A. Parasuraman,et al.  Technology Readiness Index (Tri) , 2000 .

[31]  J. Hyde,et al.  The Gender Similarities Hypothesis , 2005 .

[32]  E. Rogers,et al.  Communication of Innovations; A Cross-Cultural Approach. , 1974 .

[33]  Atreyi Kankanhalli,et al.  Contributing Knowledge to Electronic Knowledge Repositories: An Empirical Investigation , 2005, MIS Q..

[34]  Laura M. O’Dwyer,et al.  Examining Teacher Technology Use , 2003 .

[35]  Chun-Chieh Wang,et al.  An empirical study of instructor adoption of web-based learning systems , 2009, Comput. Educ..

[36]  Paul Jen-Hwa Hu,et al.  Examining technology acceptance by school teachers: a longitudinal study , 2003, Inf. Manag..

[37]  Wouter Duyck,et al.  Predicting secondary school teachers' acceptance and use of a digital learning environment: A cross-sectional study , 2011, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[38]  Philippe Duyck,et al.  University students' acceptance of a web-based course management system , 2011 .

[39]  Robert Andersson,et al.  Examining user acceptance of computer technology: an empirical study of student teachers , 2005, J. Comput. Assist. Learn..

[40]  Johan van Braak,et al.  A multidimensional approach to determinants of computer use in primary education: teacher and school characteristics , 2008, J. Comput. Assist. Learn..

[41]  Hui-Min Lai,et al.  Factors influencing secondary school teachers' adoption of teaching blogs , 2011, Comput. Educ..

[42]  Michel Ferrari,et al.  Computer-related attitudes and actions of teacher candidates , 2003, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[43]  Viswanath Venkatesh,et al.  Technology Acceptance Model 3 and a Research Agenda on Interventions , 2008, Decis. Sci..

[44]  Johan van Braak,et al.  Student teachers' thinking processes and ICT integration: Predictors of prospective teaching behaviors with educational technology , 2010, Comput. Educ..

[45]  Eileen Wood,et al.  Identifying discriminating variables between teachers who fully integrate computers and teachers with limited integration , 2008, Comput. Educ..

[46]  Peter A. Todd,et al.  Assessing IT usage: the role of prior experience , 1995 .

[47]  M. McLure Wasko,et al.  "It is what one does": why people participate and help others in electronic communities of practice , 2000, J. Strateg. Inf. Syst..

[48]  Fred D. Davis,et al.  User Acceptance of Computer Technology: A Comparison of Two Theoretical Models , 1989 .

[49]  I. Ajzen.  The theory of planned behavior , 1991 .

[50]  Bram Pynoo,et al.  Toward user centric training in a healthcare setting , 2009 .

[51]  Wouter Duyck,et al.  Do hospital physicians' attitudes change during PACS implementation? A cross-sectional acceptance study , 2012, Int. J. Medical Informatics.

[52]  Timothy Teo,et al.  Modelling technology acceptance in education: A study of pre-service teachers , 2009, Comput. Educ..

[53]  Zahid Ullah,et al.  A framework for portal implementation: A case for Saudi organizations , 2011, Int. J. Inf. Manag..

[54]  Johan van Braak,et al.  The impact of primary school teachers' educational beliefs on the classroom use of computers , 2008, Comput. Educ..

[55]  Henryk R. Marcinkiewicz.  Computers and Teachers: Factors Influencing Computer Use in the Classroom , 1993 .

[56]  D. DavisFred,et al.  User Acceptance of Computer Technology , 1989 .

[57]  Fred D. Davis.  Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology , 1989, MIS Q..

[58]  Heeseok Lee,et al.  Antecedents of Use-Continuance in Information Systems: Toward an Inegrative View , 2008, J. Comput. Inf. Syst..

[59]  Susan A. Brown,et al.  Do I really have to? User acceptance of mandated technology , 2002, Eur. J. Inf. Syst..

[60]  Gordon B. Davis,et al.  User Acceptance of Information Technology: Toward a Unified View , 2003, MIS Q..