Purpose This study examines the persistent gap between building information modelling (BIM) education and industry expectations in the construction sector, focusing on how curriculum design, institutional readiness and industry demands interact. Malaysia is used as a representative context to explore challenges common to emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research design was adopted, involving semi-structured interviews with 16 participants from academia and industry. Thematic analysis was guided by the technology acceptance model (TAM) and diffusion of innovations (DOI) theory to explore behavioural and institutional dimensions of BIM curriculum adoption. Findings Four key themes emerged: (1) curriculum gaps and pedagogical limitations, (2) industry expectations and graduate readiness, (3) institutional and behavioural barriers to BIM integration and (4) drivers and enablers of reform. The findings reveal that BIM is often taught as a standalone software skill, with limited focus on process integration, collaboration or real-world project workflows. Misalignment in expectations between academia and industry is compounded by curriculum rigidity, uneven staff capacity and limited stakeholder engagement. Originality/value This study contributes to the global discourse on digital construction education by integrating TAM and DOI to explain multi-level barriers to BIM curriculum alignment. While grounded in the Malaysian context, the findings offer transferable insights for other developing economies seeking to reform construction education in line with industry needs.
Ng et al. (Mon,) studied this question.