Determining students' behavioral intention towards online learning using EdTech apps applying the UTAUT model: A case study of school students during the Covid-19 pandemic

Online learning is an area that contributes to the need of knowledge while facing opportunities and challenges imposed by progressive development of technology. It aims to inculcate independent learning attributes through flexible content delivery, assessments, and learning output mapping. However, the acceptance of online learning by the end user determines its rate of success. While past literature is abundant in the application of UTAUT model on M-learning, online learning, mobile banking, interactive whiteboards, communication technology, enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, and mobile health, the literature is scant in its application for EdTech apps in developing countries such as India, especially during the Covid-19 time. This chapter attempts to address the need for understanding the role of EdTech apps for skilling and knowledge among students from a developing country with application of the UTAUT model including new constructs as Playful and Self-Management. This research also studies gender as a factor moderating to the pre-existing understanding of behavioural intention in the newly constructed conceptual model based on UTAUT.

Quantitative approach was employed in this study, which included a 7-scale Likert questionnaire survey and application of SEM-PLS for analysis. The sample of this research study included 521 Indian school students enrolled in EdTech apps for online learning during the Covid-19 period 2020–2021 who participated in the survey. The outcome of the undertaken research indicated that the factors of self-management of learning (SL), perceived playfulness (PP), effort expectancy (EE), and performance expectancy (PE) positively influence the behaviour intention (BI) to use EdTech apps while Social Influence (SI) had insignificant influence.