Longitudinal study of teacher acceptance of mobile virtual labs

Synthesizing the advancements in technology with classroom practices depends considerably on teachers acceptance of such internet and communication technology (ICT) tools. Adequate teacher training and upgrading of their IT skills are not prioritized in developing economies leading to poor adoption of emerging technology assisted pedagogic interventions. This paper investigated the underlying characteristics of teachers acceptance of mobile friendly virtual laboratories (M-VLs) as part of a longitudinal study conducted over 5 years covering both pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. Systematic analysis of quantitative data from 650 chemistry teachers was carried out. Viewing through the theoretical lens of Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) theory, the effects of performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), facilitating conditions (FC), hedonic motivation (HM) and habit (HA) on the behavioral intention (BI) and use behavior (UB) were scrutinized. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis revealed that PE, SI, and HA are the considerable predictors of the BI to use M-VLs and HA is the predictor of UB. The present study found HM influencing teacher's BI and UB before COVID-19. However during COVID-19 the FC influenced usage. Moreover, we found that the technology training focused on enhancing knowledge, skill and, access leads to teachers' are critical to empowering teachers and causing wider adoption.