The Effects of Previous Experience and Self Efficacy on the Acceptance of e-Learning Platforms Among Younger Students in Saudi Arabia

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by nayy☆

In Saudi Arabia, e-learning initiatives such as the Future Gate Project and Madrasati have supported distance learning since 2018 and 2020, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines students’ willingness to use e-learning platforms and how it differs by sex and age group. Survey data from 265 secondary students in the Makkah region were analyzed using SEM with TAM. Self-efficacy influenced older high school students positively but younger middle school students negatively, while perceived ease of use and social influence were key acceptance drivers, stronger for female students.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Literature Review

The Saudi Arabian Initiatives in Distance Learning

Future Gate Project

The Effects of Previous Experience and Self Efficacy on the Acceptance of e-Learning Platforms Among Younger Students in Saudi Arabia Omar Sulaymani The International and Foreign Education Office in Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia ORCID: 0000-0003-3882-9802 Ahmad R. Pratama Department of Informatics, Universitas Islam Indonesia, Yogyakarta, Indonesia ORCID: 0000-0003-0372-5851 Moneer Alshaikh Department of Cybersecurity, College of Computer Science and Engineering, The University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia ORCID: 0000-0002-2895-3482 Ali Alammary College of Computing and Informatics, Saudi Electronic University, Jeddah, Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia ORCID: 0000-0002-4186-5786 Received: 19 Oct 2021 Accepted: 25 Nov 2021 Abstract In Saudi Arabia, some e-learning initiatives such as the Future Gate Project (FGP) and Madrasati (MySchool) have been in place since 2018 and 2020, respectively. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, they were used as a means of distance learning for students across the country. This paper investigates the willingness of students to use the e-learning platforms and whether it varies across different sex and age group. Primary data in the form of a survey of 265 secondary school students across the Makkah region was analysed with Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) by using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a theoretical framework. We found that students’ self-efficacy, which is strongly influenced by their previous experience with the underlying technology used in the e-learning platforms, has a positive effect for older students in high school, yet surprisingly, a negative one for younger students in middle school. We also found that perceived ease of use and social influence to be the most important factors behind the students’ acceptance of e-learning platforms and that the effects are stronger for female students than for male students. While this study was conducted in Saudi Arabia, the findings from this study provide a first-hand insight that can help ensure the continuity of the e-learning platforms if they are tobe implemented permanently as distance learning platforms even after the end of the pandemic that is also applicable to any other countries. Keywords: e-learning, distance learning, previous experience, self-efficacy, COVID-19 pandemic INTRODUCTION Distance education has become a strategic choice for the education system in all over the world that includes the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic (Hebebci et al., 2020; Kim, 2020; Sun et al., 2020) . This does not mean that educational institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have not paid any attention to distance education programs previously as there have been several initiatives in this regard (Alahmari, 2017) . For example, is Tatweer, the King Abdullah Project for the Development of Education, one of the biggest projects directed at developing education in Saudi Arabia. This project began in the year of 1428 AH (2007), and it aimed to effectively contribute to raising the competitiveness of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and building a knowledge society through a set of programs such as: 1-Building an integrated system for educational standards, evaluation, and accounting 2- Improving the school environment to enhance education, and 3- Employing information and communication technology (ICT) to improve education (Ministry of Education 2017) . Just like in almost every other country in the world, COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted educational system in Saudi Arabia. It forced almost every school, as opposed to only specific schools, to move to online learning method in place of face-to-face meetings (Alammary et al., 2021) . As a result, a comprehensive study that can help all public and private schools adopt and generalize the pattern of distance education is necessary. Also, understanding it from students’ perspective is crucial considering they play a more central rol

FAQs

What does the paper study regarding e-learning platform acceptance?

It investigates students’ willingness to use e-learning platforms and whether acceptance varies across sex and age groups.

Which analytical framework and data method are used in the study?

The study applies the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and analyzes survey data from 265 secondary school students using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM).

What factors most strongly influence students’ acceptance of e-learning platforms?

Perceived ease of use and social influence are identified as the most important acceptance factors, with stronger effects for female students than for male students.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by nayy☆