Undergraduate students’ use of whatsapp for educational purposes: an approach based on a technology acceptance model

With over 2 billion users worldwide, WhatsApp is a crucial communication tool for sharing, creating, and spreading information. Thanks to new technology and social media in the twenty-first century, WhatsApp adoption is rapidly becoming a trend in education. WhatsApp is becoming increasingly popular among Malaysian university students, especially as a form of communication between students and teachers. By applying the Theory Acceptance Model (TAM), this study looked into the popularity of WhatsApp among students at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). An online survey on 159 students was done in August 2021. The students adoption of WhatsApp was measured through three variables that included perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived playfulness. The study found that perceived usefulness and simplicity of use of WhatsApp are the main factors that influence the students’ usage of WhatsApp. The study concludes that students’ heavy usage of social media such as WhatsApp can be a positive contributor to the educational process