Role of Habit as Mediator within the Factors in UTAUT2 Model Predicting Tertiary Students’ Learning Management System (LMS) Acceptance

Abstract

This study aimed to model tertiary students' perceptions of usage intention and use of Google Classroom, a Learning Management System (LMS). The research model emphasizes the mediator role of habit in the relationships between the constructs within the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model. The research design used was descriptive-quantitative. In the study, 1,467 students from the different colleges and campuses of one of the universities in Camarines Sur, Philippines, responded to the survey. The data were analyzed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The study's results revealed that the predictive relationships between facilitating condition and behavioral intention and effort expectancy and behavioral intention were fully mediated by habit. Meanwhile, habit partially mediates the relationships between performance expectancy and behavioral intention, social influence and behavioral intention, and hedonic motivation and behavioral intention. The Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA) result revealed that habit and facilitating conditions were the strongest predictors of behavioral intention and use behavior, respectively. These findings imply that while it is essential to upgrade the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, internet connectivity, and other forms of technical support to strengthen facilitating conditions for online education, school initiatives focusing on habit formation among students should receive equal importance.

Keywords: Google Classroom, Tertiary Education, UTAUT2 Model, PLS-SEM