Evaluating the students' behavior intention toward the use of the Student Information Management System (SIMS): a case of the Institute of Social Work

The study evaluates the students' behavior intention toward the use of a student information management system (SIMS) at the Institute of Social Work located, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The study offers a significant contribution to the body of literature using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The study extends the original TAM with the SIMS usage experience as an external variable. An online questionnaire was employed for data collection and a quantitative method was used for data analysis. Questionnaires were prepared and distributed using the KoBo Toolbox. The participants of this study were third-year students from all academic departments at the institute of social work. At the end of the data collection period, 112 questionnaires were collected. Only 100 (89%) questionnaires yielded valid responses thus considered for analysis and 12 (11%) questionnaires did not yield valid responses, excluded from the analysis. The findings of this study revealed that the original TAM construct positively affects the behavior intention to use SIMS. Similarly, the study recognized that the SIMS usage experience positively influenced the perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and intention to use SIMS. The finding of this study offered a better understanding of evaluating and predicting the student's behavioral intention toward SIMS usage at the institute. Furthermore, the study suggested that the Institute must ensure and improve support for students on the use of SIMS services without increased complications in the SIMS. Finally, the study explicated recommendations for theory and practice.