Task-Technology Fit and Technology Acceptance Model Application to Structure and Evaluate the Adoption of Social Media in Academia

The purpose of this article was to reduce the dissimilarities in the literature regarding the use of social media for training and its impact on students’ academic performance in higher education institutions. The main method of data collection for task-technology fit (TTF) and the technology acceptance model (TAM) was a questionnaire survey. This research hypothesizes that TTF applied to social media for learning will affect technology, task, and social characteristics that in turn improve students’ satisfaction and students’ academic performance. It also posits that the behavioral intent to use social media for learning will affect comprehension efficiency, ease of use, and enjoyment, all of which also improve students’ satisfaction and students’ academic performance. The data collection questionnaire was conducted with 162 students familiar with social media. Quantitative structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the results. A significant relationship was found between technology, task, and social features with TTF for utilizing social media for academic purposes, all of which fostered student enjoyment and improved outcomes. Similarly, a clear relationship was found between comprehension efficiency, ease of use, and enjoyment with behavioral intentions to utilize social media for academic purposes that positively affected satisfaction and achievement. Therefore, the study indicates that TTF and behavioral intentions to use social media improve the active learning of students and enable them to efficiently share knowledge, information, and discussions. We recommend that students utilize social media in pursuit of their educational goals. Educators should also be persuaded to incorporate social media into their classes at higher education institutions.