Does gender moderate the behaviour of Sri Lankan state university lecturers in using Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

Abstract

This research paper sets out to investigate the factors influence the adoption of VLE by the academicians of Sri Lankan national universities. It is intended to accomplish this by using the Technology Acceptance Model together with a few empirical inputs as extension. Questionnaire was used collect data from 357 academics working in 15 national universities that are under the purview of the University Grants Commission. A systematic, proportionate, stratified sampling technique was applied to represent all universities and various categories of staff. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) version 23 were used to analyse the data. Through Structural Equation Modelling, the model fit was tested and the associations between variables were examined through path analysis. This study‟s results show that perceived usefulness, subjective norm and computer self-efficacy have positive associations with behavioural intention whilst perceived ease of use and university support did not have associations. Behavioural intention is positively associated with actual usage. These findings suggest that usefulness of system, computer selfefficacy of academics, and the normative factor influence the actual usage of the VLE. Gender moderates the relationship between behavioural intention and perceived ease of use, subjective norm and computer self- efficacy.