Analysis of the use of social media in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) using the Technology Acceptance Model

The purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding of the drivers of social media in higher education institutions (HEIs) in an emerging economy. This research adopts the Technology Acceptance Model but included subjective norm, perceived playfulness, Internet reliability and speed as additional constructs. With these inclusions, the model is appropriate and relevant in explaining users’ adoption and usage behavior of social media. Data from 500 students from public and private HEIs in the Philippines were collected and analyzed. We used a combination of statistical analyses such as the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in analysing the complex relationships between determinants of these technologies. The research demonstrated that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norm, and perceived playfulness (happiness) are robust predictors of usage behavior of students. However, Internet reliability and speed were only significant in (some) public HEIs. This evidence may be explained by the fact that information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure in public HEIs is not a priority or underinvested in developing countries. On the other hand, the analysis between public and private HEIs undertaken here extends our understanding towards the different behaviors of users. The findings, though preliminary, suggest that private HEIs should initiate or continue the use of social media in classrooms, because intention to use translate to actual use of these tools. Public institutions, however, should improve Internet reliability and speed and should reassess their use of social media in order to fully take advantage of the benefits of ICT.