An Investigation of the Cross-Cultural Dimensions of Web 2.0 Acceptance and Use for Self-Directed Learning : The Case of Moroccan and American University Students

Abstract

With the increasing demands of today’s globalized and technologically driven higher education, promoting students’ self-directed learning readiness (SDL) has become a key element in educational discourse. This study examined, from a psycho-cultural comparative perspective, Moroccan and American university students’ SDL readiness levels and web 2.0 acceptance profiles and use patterns. Based on a sequential triangulation design, the data were collected from two convenience samples of n= 229 of Moroccan and n=228 of American undergraduate and graduate students from Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah University and The State University of New York at Buffalo. The findings have uncovered some interesting differences in SDL levels and web 2.0 acceptance profiles between the groups. In relation to the former, it was revealed that, compared to their American counterparts, Moroccan students lack some of the attributes associated with the domains of self-control and learning management, which negatively impacts their ability to self-direct their own learning. With regard to web 2.0 acceptance and use, the results have not only provided further validation for the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT, Venkatesh et al., 2003), but also shown that while social influence and facilitating conditions were the most important predictors of web 2.0 acceptance for Moroccans, American students’ adoption of this technology is primarily determined by performance expectancy and behavioral intention. In relation to cultural values, the findings added empirical support for Hofstede’s (1980, 2011) multi-dimensional matrix which described Moroccans and Americans as having divergent mindsets especially across his dimensions of individualism/collectivism, power distance and uncertainty avoidance. These differences had various implications on both SDL readiness and web technology acceptance, especially the individualism/collectivism dimension which was found to be a strong predictor of self-directed learning readiness and a moderator of the relationship between some of the UTAUT’s constructs.