Path Analysis of Effort Expectancy, Social Influences and Facilitating Conditionsin the Intention to Use Information and Communication Technology: The Mediating Role of Performance Expectancy

This study aimed to investigate the role of effort expectancy, social influences, and facilitating conditions in the intention to use information and communication technology with the mediating role of performance expectancy among graduate students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

The present study is a descriptive-survey correlational study based on the structural equation model in terms of applied purpose and in terms of data collection. The statistical population of the study is all graduate students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences with a number of 1500 people. The statistical sample of this research is 306 people who have been selected by the stratified random sampling method. The data collection tool is a translation and synthesis of a standard questionnaire based on the use of technology modified by the researcher. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed based on content validity, face validity, and construct validity (confirmatory factor analysis, CFA) and its reliability coefficient was obtained based on Cronbach's alpha coefficient which is equal to 0.86. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson correlation coefficient) and inferential statistics (path analysis of structural equation model) by SPSS and LISREL software.

The results showed that the variables of effort expectancy, social influences, and facilitator conditions with mediating role of performance expectancy have a positive and significant causal effect on the intention to use information and communication technology of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences students with mediating role of performance expectation (p<.01).

The use of information and communication technology in the educational and research goals of students is a good opportunity and it is necessary to consider the attitudes of educational organizations and policy makers based on the results of such research.