Perspectives of University Educators Regarding ChatGPT: A Validation Study Based on the Technology Acceptance Model

Abstract

Abstract Background ChatGPT is a generative artificial intelligence (AI) model that has a promising potential in higher education. Nevertheless, the integration of ChatGPT into higher education requires the assessment of university educators’ perspectives regarding this novel technology. This study aimed to develop and validate a survey instrument specifically tailored to assess ChatGPT usability and acceptability among university educators. Methods Development of the survey items was based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) followed by expert content validity assessment and pilot testing to improve phrasing of the items. The survey instrument involved assessment of the demographic variables in addition to a total of 40 TAM-based items. The survey was distributed among educators in Jordan in two phases: February 2023–April 2023 and October 2023. The self-administered survey was distributed via a convenience approach among the contacts of the authors. Assessment of the construct validity was done through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) based on principal component analysis (PCA), while the internal consistency of the inferred constructs was checked using the Cronbach’s α. Results The final sample comprised 236 university educators, with 72% who heard of ChatGPT before the study (n = 169), of whom 76 have already used ChatGPT (45%). The EFA showed a significant Bartlett’s test of sphericity (P < .001) and adequate Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure (KMO = .698). The six constructs inferred through EFA explained a cumulative 64% of the variance in the educators’ attitude to ChatGPT. These constructs comprised 31 items classified into: (1) “Effectiveness” (α = .845), (2) “Anxiety” (α = .862), (3) “Technology readiness (α = .885), (4) Perceived usefulness (α = .848), (5) Social influence (α = .803), and (6) Perceived risk (α = .796). Conclusions This study identified six key constructs that could be exploited for comprehensive understanding of the university educators' attitude toward ChatGPT. The novel survey instrument herein termed “Ed-TAME-ChatGPT” involved positive influencing factors such as perceived usefulness and effectiveness, positive attitude to technology, and social influence in addition to negative factors including anxiety and perceived risk. The developed survey instrument can provide a robust framework for further investigation into the usability and acceptability of ChatGPT among university educators, given the nearly inevitable integration of generative AI into higher education.