The Mediating Effect of Academic Behaviour towards Mobile Phone Use and Intention for Mobile Learning among University Students

The current study sought to study the relationship between academic behaviour, mobile phone use and intention of mobile learning among college students. Online Google Form has been used to collect quantitative data from 435 students. The researchers adopted a two-stage structural equation modeling to identify the model fit and measurement model. The first step involves the evaluation of a measurement model, also known as Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), for academic behaviour, mobile phone use, and intent for mobile learning. The measurement model attained a goodness of fit index with RMSEA = 0.078, NFI = 0.9, CFI = 0.924, TLI = 0.912, and Relative Chi-square (Chisq/df) =3.7. The structural equation model was examined in the second stage to determine any significant effects between the independent variable (mobile phone use), the mediating variable (academic behaviour) and the dependent variable (intention for mobile learning). Items in the questionnaire were adapted from several previous studies on mobile learning, mobile phone use and academic behaviour. The study found that positive academic behaviour mediates the relationship between mobile phone use and mobile learning behaviour. The results also indicated that positive academic behaviour was linked to two predicting factors of mobile learning: performance expectancy and social influence through mobile phone use. When the students realise that mobile phone use can enhance their academic performance and social influence, they often continue to practise mobile learning at their learning institutes. The study implies that higher education institutions should design creative teaching and learning activities to integrate mobile learning among students in higher education. Overall, the findings help the learning institutes design effective mobile learning guidelines for lecturers and students in higher education.