MODELING CLOUD COMPUTING ADOPTION IN IT-RELATED EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION USING THE DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION THEORY
Keywords:
cloud computing adoption in education, diffusion of innovation, determinants of cloud computing adoption, compatibility, relative advantage, observability, complexity, trialability.Abstract
This paper examined the factors that influence the acceptance and use of cloud-based services in education. The study used a quantitative cross-sectional methodology, collecting data from 194 IT learners from two IT universities in Hyderabad, Pakistan, via a Likert scale questionnaire. The study is theoretically based on the Diffusion of Innovation theory and used structural equation modeling in Amos to discover the influencing factors for adoption. The path analysis revealed that Cloud Computing Adoption is positively and significantly influenced by Compatibility (β = 0.227, CR = 2.392, p = 0.017) and Relative Advantage (β = 0.402, CR = 4.262, p < 0.001). and Observability (β = 0.11, CR = 1.964, p = 0.049). Meanwhile, contrary to the original DOI assumption, complexity had a positive and significant impact on cloud computing adoption (β = 0.399, CR = 4.115, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the relationship from Trialability to Cloud Computing Adoption was negative and non-significant (β = -0.07, CR = -0.714, p = 0.475). The study contributes to the field by investigating the cloud computing adoption factors in education from the perspectives of developing countries.
