MAJCAFE

Teddy Lian Kok Fei
Faculty of Accountancy & Management, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

Tan Shiuh Hui
Fourseven Media Sdn Bhd

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Abstract

When the Malaysian government imposed the Movement Control Order (MCO) on 18 March 2020 to deal with Covid-19, universities had no choice but to replace physical classes with e-learning classes. This study investigated the influence of five factors, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, social influence, hedonic motivation and self-efficacy, on students’ behavioural intentions to use e-learning in Malaysia during the MCO. Partial least squares analysis of 238 students from three Malaysian universities revealed that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, hedonic motivation and social influence together explained 53.7% of the variance in e-learning. Nevertheless, self-efficacy did not contribute directly or indirectly, to intentions to use e-learning. The study also confirmed the role of perceived usefulness as a mediator for hedonic motivation and social influence. Theoretically, this study has filled a gap in the literature on elearning in Malaysia and demonstrated the applicability of an eclectic approach that combines variables from different theories. Findings from this study imply that policymakers, university staff and developers of e-learning systems should ensure that e-learning systems are designed such that their perceived usefulness and ease of use can attract more students to use them effectively, even in the post-pandemic era. Furthermore, more efforts are needed to ensure e-learning is fun-filled, exciting, and fulfilling rather than difficult and tedious. Social influence is also crucial in supporting the success of e-learning. In this context, the role of professors, university administrators, parents and friends is paramount in providing guidance and making sure that students can benefit fully from e-learning.

Keywords: E-learning, Perceived usefulness, Perceived ease of use, Social influence, Hedonic motivation