Determinants of the adoption academic electronic books by university students in a developing country

Abstract

Higher education institutions worldwide are transitioning to electronic books which have become a standard platform in providing reading materials. This study investigated the determinants of the adoption of academic e-books by university students in Nigeria. Results showed that a majority of students were aware of electronic books but only 44.5% of students used them often. Despite the availability of these resources, more than 50% of students did not use e-books, also surprising was that majority of students discovered e-books from their lecturers. The study further revealed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and facilitating conditions were major determinants in the adoption of e-books by undergraduate students. However, social influence and gender did play a significant role in the intention to adopt electronic books by undergraduate students. This study has practical implications on academic institutions and electronic book publishers in encouraging e-book use and improving e-book features to align with the needs of the millennial students and also providing reliable internet facilities and improving lecturer and institutional support in driving e-book adoption by undergraduate students.