The Impact of Subjective Norm and Facilitating Conditions on Pre-Service Teachers' Attitude toward Computer Use: A Structural Equation Modeling of an Extended Technology Acceptance Model

Abstract

This study examined pre-service teachers' self-report on their attitude toward computer use. Participants were 285 pre-service teachers at a teacher training institution in Singapore. They completed a survey questionnaire measuring their responses to five constructs which formed a research model using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a framework. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used as the main technique for data analysis. Results showed that attitude toward computer use was significantly explained by perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, and two external variables, subjective norm and facilitating conditions. Overall, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norm, and facilitating conditions model accounts for 67.1% of the variance in the attitude toward computer use among pre-service teachers. The results of this study suggest that the TAM is a valid and efficient model in explaining attitude toward computer use among educational users.