Investigating the adoption of virtual teaching assistants among students using the extended UTAUT 2 in higher education

Abstract

This study explores students' perceptions of Virtual Teaching Assistants (VTAs) in higher education, driven by the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and increasing reliance on technology. Despite the growing use of AI in education, research on student perceptions of these technologies is limited, creating a gap that this study aims to address. This study aims to assess students’ acceptance of VTAs at higher educational institutions in Ho Chi Minh City and utilizing the Extended UTAUT2 model with an online survey conducted to 509 respondents to explore views on the perceived usefulness and communication ease with VTAs. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics with SPSS software version 26.0 and structural model testing with SmartPLS software version 4.0. Findings indicate that VTAs can streamline teaching processes, enabling educators to create personalized learning experiences efficiently. Implications point to the importance of enhancing student perceptions of VTAs for improved educational outcomes and further exploration of personalized learning facilitated by these technologies. Future research should examine the diverse ways students interact with VTAs in their learning journeys. The study is amongst the few studies from a emerging economy country to use the Extended UTAUT2 model to examine students’ Behavioral Intention toward VTAs. The study proposes the inclusion of Personal Innovativeness, Perceived VTAs Value as antecedent and Perceived Anthropomorphism as control variable predicting intention to use VTAs as new research points