Navigating Anxiety in a Cloud E-learning Virtual Environments: The Moderating Role of Anxiety on Lecturers’ Adoption of Cloud Computing E-learning

Abstract

The rapid expansion of cloud computing e-learning systems has empowered educators to reach learners worldwide. However, a critical study gap exists: the impact of lecturers’ technological anxiety on their adoption intentions remains unexplored in the technical universities in Ghana. This study addresses this gap by investigating anxiety’s influence on lecturers’ cloud computing e-learning adoption intentions within a virtual environment (VE). We examine the mediating role of competitive pressure and the moderating role of anxiety. Using PLSSEM, we analysed data from surveys conducted among 1395 lecturers across all 10 technical universities. With a high response rate of 90.2% (n = 1258), our analysis reveals moderate anxiety among lecturers regarding cloud e-learning adoption. The proposed model explains 21.1% of the variance in adoption intentions. Interestingly, competitive pressure on lecturers mediates the relationship between cloud e-learning usefulness, security, and adoption decisions. Additionally, anxiety moderates the effects of cloud computing complexity, security, and adoption intentions. We have recommended organizing regular training workshops, ensuring user-friendly platforms, implementing robust security measures, and providing psychological support for lecturers using cloud computing technologies.