The aim of this study was to examine factors that influence teachers' attitudes toward using technology in Lalitpur Metropolitan City. Using the technology acceptance model (TAM) as the framework, the study considered the sociodemographic context in Lalitpur District and included a new external variable—policy—along with perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, learning environment, and behavioral intention, into the original TAM framework. Structural equation modeling was implemented on questionnaire data collected from 300 teachers in Lalitpur Metropolitan City. The expanded model revealed a goodness-of-fit. School teachers' perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, were determined to be the factors with positive direct influence on teachers' attitudes toward using technology. Behavioral intention and learning environment were found to have an indirect influence. This study contributes to the understand the status of Education 4.0 on the TAM and also serves as a starting point in understanding teachers' attitudes toward technology use in Lalitpur District.
TopIntroduction
Even though there have been growing challenges in the school sector around the world, the change throughout the educational process has been concurrent to both society and the scientific innovations (Frediani, Galietta, Mosci, & Ploederl, 2005). Through this dynamic environment, it is crucial to analyze the expectations of technology adoption of each educator and student, as a result of which it is believed that the level of knowledge and engagement between teachers and students is influenced (Eyyam, Meneviş, & Dogruer, 2011; Bhandari et al., 2021). The change in the framework of education helps to consider whether student learning styles influence the standard of education for entirely new ways of e-learning (Wang, 2013; Devkota et al., 2021). The future of educational institutions with the advent of technologies and the introduction and perception of those powers affects new educational conditions in contemporary learning environments (Yamamoto & Karaman, 2011; Paudel et al., 2018; Devkota et al., 2021).
As technology continues to evolve (Thakur et al., 2022), the expectation of educators to use technologies for teaching also grows with the influence of education. The use of technology by teachers has repeatedly been projected by one crucial factor: their attitude towards technology (Timothy Teo, 2009; Sabir et al., 2019). Educators play an essential role in integrating technology in primary and secondary schools (Baek, Jung, & Kim, 2008; Paudel et al., 2018). The degree of technology adoption relies heavily on teachers' optimistic attitudes towards using technology, regardless of the technical facilities offered in schools (Timothy Teo, 2009).
Various models have been explored the attitudes of teachers towards using technology such as the Theory of Reasonable Action, Theory of Planned Behavior, Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior, Experiential Learning Theory, Capabilities Approach, Technology Acceptance Model (Collins, Witkiewitz, & Larimer, 2011; Sahli & Legohérel, 2014; Armstrong & Fukami, 2009; Davis, Bagozzi, & Warshaw, 1989). Most of these tests, however, have been performed in the Western world. In South Asian nations, there is a lack of longitudinal studies on the attitudes of teachers towards using technology (Summak, Ba, & Samanc, 2010; Bae, Min, & Jung, 2011; Frolova, Rogach, & Ryabova, 2020). In various countries, the TAM has been validated, but never in Nepal.