THEORIZING A TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL IN ECEC IN ROMANIAN PRESCHOOL TEACHERS

Abstract

Given the current circumstances, we can argue that this epidemic, as well as the state of emergency declared from one day to the next, has resulted in a true educational experiment. Education systems all across the world must adapt to the circumstances and reinvent themselves. Millions of toddlers have been forced to stay at home due to the crisis, and preschool teachers have been compelled to shift their online activities, learning to utilize various digital tools and platforms to continue teaching and stay in touch with children. As a result, both preschool teachers and children were able to adjust to the new educational method and communication style. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is a theory of computer systems developed to be able to make predictions about technology acceptance. This model suggests that when users are introduced to a new technology, a number of factors influence their decision about how and when to use it. TAM is based on the causal relationship beliefs - attitude - intention - behavior, a relationship developed within the theory of motivated action. Our extended technology acceptance model in ECEC (TAM-ECEC) will take into consideration the following variables: Perceived ease of use, Perceived usefulness, Perceived enjoyment, Intention to use, Actual use, Compatibility, Attitude, Self-efficacy, Zoom fatigue and Perceived risk. Conclusions and implications are discussed.