Unravelling Technology Acceptance: Lessons Learnt from Teacher's Experience During COVID-19 for Post-Pandemic Systemic Education

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique environment to understand education technology acceptance and adoption. The pandemic acted as a catalyst, encouraging higher education (HE) institutions to rapidly transition from traditional learning environments to technology-driven learning environments. While the motivation for this transition at an institutional level was driven by the need for operational continuation and survival, this rapid transition transferred an increased responsibility to the teacher. Extant research in the context of education technology acceptance and adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic gives substantial emphasis to the learner’s experience since the learner is often seen as being on the receiving end of this transformation. However, in this narrative, the teacher is often overlooked. Through a systematic literature review of technology acceptance and adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic, we examine themes surrounding the teacher’s experience to address the research questions. When the teacher or instructor is the subject of the study, how have learning technologies influenced their role? and What factors encourage or influence teachers’ acceptance of learning technologies? Key findings from this study reveal that the role of the teacher in this technology-driven learning environment shifts from instructor to facilitator, positioning them as an extension of technology. As a result, the teacher determines how the educational technology is perceived by the learner as useful or easy to use. The findings of this study recognise considerations for HE institutions in this age of digital transformation while also presenting new avenues for research in the domain of technology acceptance and adoption.