Undergraduates' behavioral intention to use indigenous Chinese Web 2.0 tools in informal English learning: Combining language learning motivation with technology acceptance model

The study addresses a gap in research on how Chinese undergraduates intend to use indigenous Chinese Web 2.0 tools (ICWTs) for informal English as a foreign language (EFL) learning. While Web 2.0 tools can diversify language learning, provide authentic resources, and promote interaction, student uptake depends on positive perceptions and active engagement. Most prior work focuses on English-medium tools and formal learning contexts, leaving informal learning with ICWTs underexplored. Informal English learning occurs outside class, is learner-initiated, autonomous, and often digitally mediated. This study aims to identify factors influencing behavioral intention (BI) to use ICWTs for informal English learning by integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with language learning motivation, particularly intrinsic motivation in English learning (IMEL). It proposes and tests hypotheses about the roles of perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived usefulness (PU), perceived enjoyment (PE), and IMEL in shaping BI, including potential mediation pathways.

The theoretical framework builds on TAM, which posits that PEU and PU shape attitudes and BI toward technology use. Although TAM often omits attitude in favor of direct paths from PEU and PU to BI, extensive research supports their influence in educational contexts. The study extends TAM by adding perceived enjoyment (PE), recognized as an intrinsic driver that can reduce perceived difficulty and enhance perceptions of usefulness, and by incorporating intrinsic motivation in English learning (IMEL) from self-determination theory. The literature suggests that enjoyment can increase perceived ease and usefulness, and that intrinsic motivation can promote technology-supported language learning. Based on this, the study advances 12 hypotheses: H1 PEU→BI (+); H2 PU→BI (+); H3 PE→BI (+); H4 PE→PEU (+); H5 PE→PU (+); H6 IMEL→BI (+); H7 IMEL→PE (+). Mediation hypotheses: H8 PEU mediates PE→BI; H9 PU mediates PE→BI; H10 PE mediates IMEL→BI; H11 PE and PEU mediate IMEL→BI; H12 PE and PU mediate IMEL→BI.

Design: Cross-sectional survey with structural equation modeling (SEM). Participants: 849 undergraduates randomly sampled from a university in eastern China; after excluding 15 incomplete cases, N=834 (73.6% female; mean age 19.37, SD=1.00). Academic year: 54.3% first-year, 45.7% second-year. English learning years varied (<9 to >12 years). Context: English is compulsory in first two years. Instruments: Online anonymous questionnaire (wjx.cn) open for two weeks, with two parts. Part 1: demographics, familiarity with ICWTs, frequency of ICWTs use in daily life and for informal English learning. Part 2: 23 Likert-scale items (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree) measuring five constructs tailored to ICWTs in informal English learning—PEU (4 items), PU (6), PE (4), IMEL (5), BI (4)—adapted from established scales. Ethics: Approved by Qufu Normal University Research Ethics Committee (ref: 2023036); informed consent obtained. Analysis: SPSS 26.0 for descriptive statistics; Mplus 8.3 for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess reliability and validity, and SEM path analysis to test hypotheses. Mediation tested via bias-corrected bootstrap (2000 iterations); mediation deemed significant when 95% CI excluded zero. Measurement quality: Cronbach's alpha ≥0.798 across constructs; factor loadings >0.59; composite reliability (CR) ≥0.871; average variance extracted (AVE) ≥0.634; discriminant validity supported by Fornell-Larcker criterion. Model fit: χ²=737.809, df=160, χ²/df=4.611; CFI=0.958, TLI=0.952, RMSEA=0.066, SRMR=0.037.

- Usage context: High familiarity and frequent everyday use of ICWTs (familiarity M=3.05, SD=1.234; everyday use M=3.85, SD=1.355), but lower frequency for informal English learning (M=2.20, SD=1.154). Significant difference between everyday use and informal English learning use, t≈-13.477, p<0.001, d=0.465, 95% CI [0.522, 0.741]. No significant differences by gender, academic year, or years of English learning. - Measurement properties: Reliability and validity met thresholds (alphas >0.7; CR ≥0.871; AVE ≥0.634; discriminant validity satisfied). - Structural paths (standardized): PEU→BI β=0.054, p=0.165 (ns) [H1 not supported]; PU→BI β=0.299, p=0.019 (supported) [H2]; PE→BI β=0.414, p=0.003 (supported) [H3]; PE→PEU β=0.678, p<0.001 (supported) [H4]; PE→PU β=0.925, p<0.001 (supported) [H5]; IMEL→BI β=0.173, p<0.001 (supported) [H6]; IMEL→PE β=0.437, p<0.001 (supported) [H7]. - Mediation (bootstrap, 2000 samples, 95% CI): PE→PEU→BI β=0.037, CI [-0.014, 0.091] (ns) [H8 not supported]; PE→PU→BI β=0.277, CI [0.008, 0.481] (supported) [H9]; IMEL→PE→BI β=0.181, CI [0.079, 0.340] (supported) [H10]; IMEL→PE→PEU→BI β=0.016, CI [-0.005, 0.040] (ns) [H11 not supported]; IMEL→PE→PU→BI β=0.121, CI [0.011, 0.218] (supported) [H12]. - Overall: 9 of 12 hypotheses supported. BI is positively predicted by PU, PE, and IMEL; PEU has no significant direct effect on BI. PU mediates the effect of PE on BI; PE mediates IMEL→BI; sequential mediation via PE and PU links IMEL to BI.

Findings indicate that in the context of informal English learning with ICWTs, perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, and intrinsic motivation in English learning are key drivers of undergraduates' intention to use these tools, while perceived ease of use does not directly influence intention. The non-significant PEU→BI path may reflect students' high digital literacy and familiarity with mobile/Web 2.0 tools—effortlessness is less salient for digital natives. Enjoyment not only directly increases BI but also enhances perceptions of ease and usefulness, and mediates the effect of intrinsic motivation on BI. PU both directly increases BI and mediates the PE→BI link, underscoring the importance of demonstrating instrumental benefits of ICWTs for EFL. Practically, to foster adoption, educators should scaffold self-directed use of ICWTs, design activities and curate content that are enjoyable and demonstrably useful, and cultivate students' intrinsic motivation for English. Developers should embed engaging features and high-quality English resources to enhance enjoyment and perceived utility.

The study extends TAM by integrating intrinsic motivation in English learning to explain undergraduates' behavioral intention to use indigenous Chinese Web 2.0 tools for informal English learning. Structural modeling with 834 students shows that perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, and intrinsic motivation positively predict intention, whereas perceived ease of use does not. PU mediates the effect of PE on intention; PE mediates the effect of IMEL on intention; and IMEL impacts intention through a sequential pathway via PE and PU. Despite currently lower use of ICWTs for informal English learning compared to everyday life, effective, enjoyable, and useful integration can promote adoption. Implications include encouraging students to leverage ICWTs, guiding tool selection and motivational support by teachers, and designing for usefulness and enjoyment by developers. Future work should broaden samples and contexts, and incorporate additional affective factors for a richer understanding of technology adoption in EFL.

Generalizability is limited by sampling from a single university in eastern China and reliance on a cross-sectional self-report survey. The study focuses on quantitative SEM without qualitative insights. Future research should include diverse institutions and countries, adopt qualitative or mixed-methods approaches, and expand TAM with additional affective and contextual variables to better capture determinants of ICWT adoption in informal English learning.