Understanding Students’ perceptions of Construction Technology Utilizing UTAUT Framework

Abstract

While technology adoption promises benefits like cost savings, safety improvements, and enhanced collaboration, the construction sector traditionally lags in adopting these innovations, leading to sustained inefficiencies. The emergence of Construction 4.0, aligned with Industry 4.0 principles, integrates emerging technologies to revolutionize design, construction, and asset management. Amidst these advancements, the construction workforce, particularly students in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) programs, plays a pivotal role in industry transformation and technology advancement. While digital technologies and construction innovation are widely accepted in construction education, it is unclear how much such acceptance will translate into students’ future usage of construction technology when they enter the industry. Utilizing the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework, the study aims to predict and understand students' technology adoption, providing valuable insights for enhancing current education on construction technology and preparing the future workforce for industry advancements. This study distributed surveys to AEC students, and 88 valid data were obtained and analyzed. It was found that students’ effort expectancy and behavioral intention vary across different educational levels and working experiences. The results emphasized the significance of persistence in incorporating the construction technology curriculum in construction educational programs.