Abstract:

Technology-assisted teaching and learning is an ongoing trend and one of the major fields within today's educational research and policy-making. Despite efforts to introduce educational technology into everyday university life for both instructors and students, the current state of development continues to fall short of expectations. While some institutions report great success in developing and extending their e-learning platforms, others still experience difficulties in terms of willingness to adopt.

Previous research on e-learning acceptance has been predominantly based on technology-focused frameworks such as the IS Success Model (Delone; McLean, 2013) or the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and its successors (Davies, 1985). According to Šumak; Heričko; Pušnik (2011), TAM is the “most-used acceptance theory in e-learning acceptance research” (Šumak; Heričko; Pušnik, 2011, 2067) and has been successfully utilized on both student’s and instructor’s perspective (Al-Busaidi; Al-Shihi, 2010). Originally constructed on the basis of Fishbein’s and Ajzen’s (1975) theory of reasoned action, TAM identifies perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use as central antecedents of technology acceptance. Since its initial publication, TAM has been adapted and expanded iteratively (e. g. UTAUT) and has become a standard framework to describe and explain how people adopt and use new technologies.

In line with TAM, behavioral reasoning theory (BRT) also refers to traditional behavioral theories, such as the theory of reasoned action (TRA) (Fishbein; Ajzen’s, 1975) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). They share the assumption that behavioral intentions are directly related to subsequent actual behavior. According to TRA, behavioral intentions are shaped by attitudes which stem from behavior-related value expectations, and subjective norms that represent subjective social and normative beliefs regarding a certain behavior. TPB extends the model by perceived behavioral control as a third major factor which refers to the perceived ease and capability of an individual to perform a specific behavior.

Offering a broader understanding of human decision making and behavior, BRT additionally takes into account reasons both for and against a certain behavior and “proposes that reasons serve as important linkages between people’s beliefs, global motives […], intentions, and behavior” (Westaby, 2010, 98). The theory is based on the idea that reasons “help individuals justify and defend their actions, which promotes and protects their self-worth” (Westaby, 2010, 98). BRT has been successfully applied to a series of behavioral settings across very different fields, from leadership decision-making to medical error reporting. However, it has not yet been used to investigate or explain the diffusion of educational technology.

The paper discusses the adoption of educational technology from the perspective of the behavioral reasoning theory and draws conclusions for the promotion and development of educational technology. Furthermore, we present intermediate results from an ongoing empirical study describing reasons for and against the educational usage of learning management systems by teaching staff in a university context.

Keywords:

e-learning, educational technology, behavioral reasoning theory, technology acceptance.