Abstract:

The main goal of this study is to examine the technological tool acceptation such as virtual classroom in the students of three secondary’s schools, using a model based on TAM (Technology Acceptance Model).

A survey instrument was used to contrast the hypotheses proposed in the research model.
Data were collected from a sample of questionnaires answered by the students of Superior Grade Formative Course on Administration and finance. These questionnaires were structured in two categories with “assessment questions” and “classification questions”. The assessment questions included six variables as intention, attitude, usefulness, enjoyment, concentration and usage of virtual classroom. The second category were integrated by classification questions such as gender, age, among other. Hence, the final sample of this study were integrated by 103 questionnaires due to the fact that students did not answer all the questions, and hence, we removed these questionnaires. The methodology used in this study is based on partial least squares (PLS), estimation technic of a structural equation modeling (SEM) oriented to the prediction instead to confirmation of cause/effect relationships. The analysis of PLS‐SEM corroborated the reliability of the model proposed.

The findings obtained provide evidence that students consider the virtual classroom presents ease of use due to the fact that it has similarities with other technological tools. Moreover, students consider that this platform motivates them to use it. This mean that the concentration and enjoyment impact positively with the usefulness (Hypotheses 1 and 2). Over time, these positive perceptions by the students (concentration and enjoyment) develop the attitude and intention, consequently it is verified the proposed model (Hypotheses 3, 4 and 5). The results are that the intention, previous step to behavior in the decisions on repeated in long-term supported with past experience, we allow us to predict the time that students will use the virtual classroom in the Superior Grade Formative Course.

This research also has theoretical implications. Firstly, the implementation of this technological tool should be a long-term and meticulous process, to improve several aspects of this platform. This mechanism should be attractive, easy and visual in order to attract the student’s attention and motivate them towards utilization. Secondly, professors of secondary schools should be training in technological tools in general terms and in particular in the platforms of the center has, and ultimately, they should transmit this knowledge’s to the students.

The value of this study is to reveal the perception of the students about both the use and the acceptance's grade virtual classroom. In this sense, this research has contributed to extend the studies based on the TAM

Keywords:

Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), structural equation modeling (SEM), virtual classroom.