Higher education instructors’ intention to use educational video games: an fsQCA approach

Educational video games (EVGs) offer instructors a myriad of opportunities to motivate and engage students in the learning process. Nevertheless, instructors can be influenced by barriers that prevent them from using EVGs in their courses (e.g. lack of expertise with EVGs). Instructors can also be influenced by different drivers that might increase their intention to use EVGs. This research analyses the effects of four variables (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attention, and relevance) as factors contributing or preventing the use of EVGs by instructors serving in Higher Education institutions. Data of 170 instructors, who were surveyed through an online questionnaire using a snowball sampling, is analysed via fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). Main results suggest that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of EVGs are sufficient conditions for Higher Education instructors to show behavioural intention to use EVGs in their courses. Results also suggest that both instructors’ perceived capacity of EVGs to attract students’ attention and perceived relevance of EVGs affect instructors’ behavioural intention. Managerial implications for Instructor Training Programmes (ITP), limitations of the study, and future research lines are also addressed.