Investigating the cross-cultural dimensions of educational Web 2.0 acceptance: the case of Moroccan and American university students

Abstract

As a response to scholars’ growing calls for new and more cross-cultural perspectives in the study of educational technology acceptance, this study examined the moderating effect of Moroccan (n = 200) and American (n = 200) university students’ psycho-cultural values, as conceptualized by Hofstede’s multidimensional matrix, on their acceptance and use of Web 2.0 for learning. Data were collected using an extended version of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). The findings, in addition to validating the UTAUT in two culturally divergent higher education contexts, have uncovered how students’ cultural values of individualism/collectivism and power distance significantly affect their Web 2.0 acceptance profiles. Thus, for example, while Moroccan students’ acceptance of Web 2.0 is determined by social influence, performance expectancy and behavioral intention were the primary determinant factors for their American counterparts.