Analysing User Resistance to Distance Learning Systems by Academics within the COVID-19 Pandemic Using The Technology Acceptance Model

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine academics’ user resistance to distance learning, their perceptions of the distance learning systems and factors affecting their perceptions of the changes in the education system during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study’s population consists of 440 academics working in 43 different universities in Turkey. The research sample were determined through convenience and snowball sampling methods. The data were collected using an online questionnaire form created within Google Forms. After validity and reliability analyses on the data, eight different hypotheses were tested using structural equation analysis. All eight hypotheses proposed within the study were accepted after receiving the results of this analysis. The results of the study show that user resistance has a significantly negative effect on the users that utilise distance learning. However, the perceived ease of use and usefulness have a significantly positive effect on attitude and behavior.