A Model for Medical Students' Behavioral Intention to Use Mobile Learning

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Educational Technology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Mobile devices are increasingly used for learning, with mobile learning (m-learning) becoming prevalent in medical education.
• Medical students' readiness and intention to use mobile devices for learning are critical for effective integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how medical students' beliefs influence their behavioral intention to use mobile devices for learning.
• To assess medical students' perceptions of m-learning, including ease of use, usefulness, and self-efficacy.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted with 376 medical students (juniors and sophomores).
• Structural equation modeling, based on the theory of planned behavior, was used to analyze the data.

Main Results:

• Medical students reported high perceived ease of use, usefulness, learning autonomy, intention to use, and self-efficacy for m-learning.
• Subjective norm was the primary predictor of behavioral intention (76% variance explained), followed by perceived behavioral control and attitude.
• A significant gap was identified in instructors' perceived readiness for m-learning.

Conclusions:

• The proposed model effectively explains medical students' behavioral intention towards m-learning.
• Findings can inform the design of m-learning applications, environments, and implementation strategies in medical education.
• Addressing instructor readiness is crucial for successful m-learning adoption in medical schools.