Toward Sustainable Technology Use in Education: Psychological Pathways and Professional Status Effects in the TAM Framework

Andrei-Lucian Marian (), Roxana Apostolache and Ciprian Marius Ceobanu
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Andrei-Lucian Marian: Teacher Training Department, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, Toma Cozma Street, No. 3, 700554 Iasi, Romania
Roxana Apostolache: Teacher Training Department, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, Toma Cozma Street, No. 3, 700554 Iasi, Romania
Ciprian Marius Ceobanu: Teacher Training Department, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, Toma Cozma Street, No. 3, 700554 Iasi, Romania

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-23

Abstract: The sustainable integration of technology into educational practices is pivotal for modern teaching and learning. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study explores the psychological and contextual factors that influence technology acceptance among pre-service and in-service teachers. Employing a nonexperimental, cross-sectional design, data were collected from 347 participants to examine the relationships between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward use, behavioural intention, and actual system use. Results indicate that pre-service teachers demonstrate stronger openness to technology adoption, driven primarily by attitudinal factors, whereas in-service teachers’ acceptance is more closely linked to perceived utility and usability. This study advances the TAM by integrating a dual serial mediation model and testing the moderating role of professional status, thereby offering a nuanced understanding of sustainable digital engagement across career stages. Our findings underscore the importance of fostering positive perceptions and providing differentiated support throughout teachers’ professional trajectories to achieve long-term, meaningful technology adoption in education.

Keywords: sustainable education; digital transformation in education; technology acceptance model (TAM); pre-service teachers; in-service teachers; behavioural intention; sustainable technology adoption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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