Challenges of E-Learning: Behavioral Intention of Academicians to Use E-Learning during COVID-19 Crisis

The COVID-19 crisis demanded that all educational activities should be performed virtually to follow social distancing guidelines. Therefore, there was a need to perform a research study to assess the effects of external factors on the perceived usefulness, ease of use of e-learning, and the further effect of these perceptions on attitude and intent to use e-learning by using the technology acceptance model (TAM) among academicians at higher education institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, and data were collected from 263 academicians across Saudi Arabia through an online survey questionnaire using a non-probability purposive sampling technique and analyzed and tested using the SPSS and Smart PLS software. Results: This study found that self-efficacy was positively associated with perceived usefulness at beta = 0.143 and p < 0.05, but it had no association with perceived ease of use at beta = 0.057 at p > 0.05. System accessibility had a significant and positive relationship with perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use at beta = 0.283, beta = 0.247, and p < 0.01, respectively. Self-efficacy had a positive effect on perceived usefulness, whereas the subjective norm had no relationship with perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use at beta = -0.065 and beta = -0.012 at p > 0.05, respectively. Perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness were positively related to attitude towards use, which has a significant influence on intention to use e-learning. Conclusion: Perceived ease of application is the most significant factor (beta = 0.556) in developing the attitude among academicians to practice e-learning, followed by perceived usefulness (beta = 0.262). Moreover, it can be concluded that system accessibility has a stronger influence on developing perception among academicians about the expediency and ease of application of e-learning than self-efficacy.