The Relationships Between the Factors of a TOE Framework and Student ERP Systems Learning: A Curriculum Development Case

Abstract

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to propose a curriculum development model for the integration of technology, organization, and environment (TOE) framework into enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems education. The study investigated the relationships between the three factors of the TOE framework and student learning outcomes from their ERP systems study. Background: As the demand for ERP systems grew and spread to diverse organizations, educational institutions have attempted to integrate the ERP systems into their curriculum. Yet, lacking a conforming framework to the systems results in a considerable gap between the integrated curriculum and student learning outcomes. A pedagogical framework to bridge the gap between educators and students is needed for the ERP systems education. Methodology: The study identified eight propositions from literature reviews and conceptualized a model with corresponding constructs to the propositions. The constructs comprise the seven predictor variables from the TOE contextual factors and one predictive variable for student learning. These constructs provide more details on the TOE factors and eight survey questions in the study. The study analyzed 133 survey responses of four semesters with a SPSS multiple linear regression. Contribution: The study contributes to the emerging body of ERP systems education and research by integrating the TOE framework to the technology curriculum development. The study model provides a structured approach for the selection of appropriate pedagogical contents to achieve a variety of student learning outcomes. Findings: The findings of the study indicate the use of the TOE framework enhances student learning of ERP systems. All the three factors of the framework were found to be statistically significant predictors in the ERP systems learning. The eight propositions depicting the relationships between the seven constructs of the TOE factors and student learning outcomes are all supported. Recommendations for Practitioners: The study recommends a practical guideline to ERP systems educators to utilize the TOE framework in their curriculum development. The guideline is aligned with typical teaching objectives for ERP systems courses. Recommendation for Researchers: Further studies are necessary by various scholars who have noted limited research pertaining to ERP systems and information technology education. The TOE framework demonstrates a practical application of a proven theory to student learning outcomes as a feasible approach to deliberate the use of the systems education and research. Impact on Society: This study will have a valuable impact on educators for their technology curriculum development and software vendors for their investment decisions on enterprise-wide system products. Future Research: Relying solely on student self-reported survey responses may be prone to response bias. For future work, researchers can extend this study and undertake similar research to empirically validate the efficacy of various teaching practices for student ERP systems learning. This could include objective measures of student learning by qualitatively coding behaviors at student project meetings or from hands-on ERP system exercise results.