Development and Validation of the Technology Adoption and Gratification (TAG) Model in Higher Education: A Cross-Cultural Study Between Malaysia and China

Development and Validation of the Technology Adoption and Gratification (TAG) Model in Higher Education: A Cross-Cultural Study Between Malaysia and China

A.Y.M. Atiquil Islam
Copyright: © 2018 |Pages: 30
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-5201-7.ch027
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Abstract

The prime objective of this study was to develop and validate the Technology Adoption and Gratification (TAG) Model to evaluate the adoption and gratification of lecturers in using ICT facilities for their teaching and research purposes in higher education. The second objective of this study was to evaluate the cross-cultural validation of the causal structure of the TAG model. A total of 396 lecturers were collected from two public universities, namely, University of Malaya in Malaysia and Jiaxing University in China using stratified random sampling procedure. The questionnaire's validity was established through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) using SPSS version 21.0. The data was analyzed applying Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using AMOS version 18. The findings of the research using the TAG model discovered that the computer self-efficacy of the lecturers had a positive direct impact on their perceived usefulness and ease of use, while the latter two factors also had a significant direct impact on gratification and intention to use, separately. Meanwhile, gratification and actual use of ICT facilities were directly affected by intention to use. Moreover, computer self-efficacy had a positive and significant indirect impact on gratification and intention to use mediated by perceived usefulness and ease of use, respectively. In addition to lecturers' perceived ease of use and usefulness had a significant indirect effect on their gratification mediated by intention to use. The results of the invariance analysis of the TAG model also demonstrated that the model was valid for measuring lecturers' adoption and gratification in using ICT facilities. However, the TAG model works differently in cross-cultural settings. The findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge in the field of ICT by developing and validating the applicability of the TAG Model within institutions of higher education. Once validated the model could then be applied by future researchers, academicians and practitioners in the diverse context of education.
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Introduction

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) constitutes a key dimension in the process of the wider development of a country. The estimation of the ICT evolution involves use of an appropriate metric for assessing the information society in a country on the sub-indices of access, use and skills (Kyriakidou, Michalakelis & Sphicopoulos, 2013). Their study of the influential components on the ICT maturity level revealed considerable discrepancies in their influence in developed and developing countries. The use factor was found to be considerably more important in developed countries than in developing countries. Notwithstanding the fact that, during previous years ICT witnessed an escalating dissemination. The distinctions in the level of use, access and skills of ICT can be identified both within and between countries. The policy and decision makers have stated that these dissimilarities cause an ICT gap and thus strategies aiming at the expansion of ICT have been applied in many countries. Hence, assessing and analyzing the digital split among countries is of overriding consequence for researchers as well as managers.

As the adaptation of ICT facilities in education increases, its further integration into teaching, learning, and research has had a significant impact in paving the way for technology-based education among university academicians, students and staff. Hong and Songan (2011) contend that in Southeast Asia, ICT is being utilized more to deal with the challenges that are faced by higher education systems. However, there is very little research on effective utilization of ICT in tertiary education programs in Southeast Asia. Thus, it is immensely significant for related and advanced staff of higher education institutions to learn from success stories, experiences and lessons from the application of ICT in countries within the region.

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