From Motivation to Innovation: Motivation and Innovative Behavior as Predictors of Instructional Technology Acceptance in Higher Education

Introduction: Educational technologies continue to thrive throughout higher education institutions; however, access to technology does not always lead to approval. The present study explores instructor motivation and innovative behavior as interpreters of instructional technology acceptance. Methods: Instructors at Lebanese higher education institutions were submitted questionnaires with quantitative survey data and qualitative written responses. Moreover, to measure the acceptance of instructional technology, behavioral intention was served as a proxy measure. However, quantitative variables were used to determine relationships between instructor motivation, innovative behavior, and behavioral intention. In addition, the researcher looked at data in a thematic way. Results: Instructor motivation was found to have strong positive connections with both innovative behavior and acceptance of instructional technology. On the other hand, acceptance of instructional technology was also found to have a strong positive correlation with innovative behavior. Regression analysis showed that instructor motivation and innovative behavior significantly predicted behavioral intention. All that moved towards instructional technology acceptance. Qualitative themes supported both exploratory and quantitative findings. These themes comprise professional growth, experimentation, perceived usefulness, ease of use, and institutional support. Conclusion: These results indicate that acceptance of instructional technology is not based solely on instructors’ cognitive perceptions of technology. However, it is also influenced by instructor motivation and willingness to try innovative behaviors