Evaluating TAM validity and reliability in mobile learning for students with disabilities in South African distance education

This study examined the psychometric properties of two primary domains: perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) in the technology acceptance model (TAM), and their value in determining mobile learning (m-learning) usage among a sample of 220 students with disabilities (SwD) enrolled in a distance education (DE) institution in South Africa. This appears to be one of the first studies in the country to establish internal consistency of the domains among SwD and confirm the two-factor structure using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; χ²/df = 2.26, CFI = .982, NFI = .969, IFI = .983; TLI = .971, SRMR = .039). These two constructs exhibited factor loadings (λ) ranging from .79 to .95 and produced a structure consistent with the original TAM (Davis, 1989). From a theoretical perspective, the CFA findings reinforce the construct validity of the TAM across various student populations while supporting its cross-cultural applicability in diverse educational settings. However, regression analyses suggested that PU and PEOU were not significant predictors of m-learning usage among SwD (β = .026, t = .300; p = .764; β = -.010, t = -.113, p = .910, respectively), warranting a critical review of the TAM among SwD in DE settings and giving credence to the notion that m-learning usage is deeply embedded in the structural realities of living with a disability and studying at a distance in South Africa. Nonetheless, this study contributes to the limited psychometric research on the TAM in the South African DE sector and establishes a foundation for understanding m-learning usage among SwD in developing contexts.