The adoption of educational technology in higher education has become an increasingly critical concern for improving teaching effectiveness and learning outcomes in the 21st century. In developing countries such as Nepal, however, the integration of technology into teaching practices remains uneven despite growing investments in digital infrastructure and supportive national policy frameworks. While previous research has extensively examined infrastructural challenges and faculty readiness as barriers to technology use, limited empirical attention has been directed toward identifying the comprehensive set of determinants that shape technology adoption decisions among teaching professionals in South Asian higher education contexts.
This study investigates the determinants of educational technology adoption in higher education institutions in Nepal, with a specific focus on the perspectives of college-level teaching professionals. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, 1989) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) (Venkatesh et al., 2003), a quantitative survey-based research design was employed. Primary data were collected from 68 faculty members across diverse colleges in Nepal using a structured, five-point Likert scale questionnaire. The instrument assessed five major dimensions: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, institutional support, teacher digital competency, and external influences including policy environment and social factors.
The findings reveal that institutional support and teacher digital competency are the most significant determinants of educational technology adoption. Specifically, limited access to training programs and inconsistent technical support emerged as the most prominent institutional barriers. Perceived usefulness received the highest mean endorsement among faculty (M = 3.5), while institutional support scored the lowest (M = 2.7), indicating a critical gap between teacher motivation and enabling conditions. Student expectations were the strongest external driver of adoption (M = 3.9), while government policy support remained moderate (M = 2.9). Lack of training (reported by 76% of respondents as high-impact) and limited institutional resources (60%) were identified as the primary barriers to meaningful technology integration.
The study identifies a central "motivation-enablement paradox" at the heart of technology adoption in Nepalese higher education: faculty motivation to adopt technology genuinely exists, yet the institutional scaffolding required to convert that motivation into sustained, effective use remains critically insufficient. The study concludes that successful adoption of educational technology in Nepalese higher education requires a systemic approach that simultaneously strengthens institutional infrastructure, develops teacher digital competencies, and fosters positive perceptions of technology utility. Targeted professional development programs, improved institutional resource allocation, and coherent national ICT-in-education policies are among the key recommendations proposed.