Understanding E-learning Adoption and Acceptance during the Covid 19 Pandemic: The Influence of Self Efficacy

The world wide outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic reconfigured various landscapes in higher education as various institutions, lecturers and students were forced to adopt e-learning. However, the successful adoption and acceptance of e-learning by both lecturers and students involved has not been discussed and measured. This study seeks to investigate the influence of both the lecturer and student self efficacy on behavoral intention to use e-learning during the pandemic in the context of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Lecturer Self-Efficacy (LSE) and Student Self-Efficacy (SSE) were hypothesized to have a correlation with the perceived usefullness and perceived ease of use of e-learning systems as well as the attitude towards using those e-learning systems which resultantly influence the behavoural intention to use e-learning systems. A total of 362 questionnaires were received from both students and lecturers in Zimbabwe's two universities and two polytechnics. Structural Equation Modelling was utilized to test the hypothesized conceptual model. Reliability and validity checks were done to the model instrument. Results indicated that both LSE and SSE have a positive influence on perceived ease of use but however, both LSE and SSE revealed a negative influence on perceived usefullness. Results also indicated that both LSE and SSE have a positive influence on attitude towards use of e-learning systems. The findings of the study contribute to the literature by highlighting the influence of LSE and SSE in the adoption and acceptance of e-learning systems in higher education. © 2022 IEEE.

Lecturer self-efficacy beliefs: an integrative review and synthesis of relevant literature

This article reviews available research literature in the field of lecturer self-efficacy beliefs produced between 1988 and 2020. Given the growing interest in lecturer self-efficacy beliefs in recent years, and the global challenges the Higher Education sector will face following the current Covid-19 pandemic, the time to conduct such a review seems appropriate. Fifty-five empirical papers in English, Spanish and Portuguese were identified and examined. Findings show that papers investigated the beliefs of lecturers from 23 countries using mostly quantitative cross-sectional approaches involving questionnaires. Among the eight main themes that emerged, 'teaching self-efficacy' featured prominently and received most attention, while other aspects of the work of lecturers, including research, service-related and other administrative activities, were also considered. Concerning personal variables like gender, there was no consensus over whether different characteristics affected self-efficacy beliefs more than others. Conclusions point to the need for additional mixed-methods and qualitative studies with more refined and contextualised methodological approaches to better understand the field, to identify actual sources of self-efficacy themselves and to more fully inform policy, practice, the distribution of resources and building capacity.