Factors Shaping the Propensity of UAE Secondary School Teachers to Incorporate Education 4.0

Abstract

This paper aims to provide a concise summary of the main points and findings discussed in the subsequent in light of the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. A considerable number of secondary school institutions have shifted their pedagogical and assessment methodologies to online platforms. However, the current corpus of academic literature regarding education reform projects in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reveals a significant lack of comprehensive research on this specific subject matter. Consequently, the primary objective of this study is to investigate the propensity of secondary school educators in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to embrace the principles and practices associated with Education 4.0. The current investigation employs a quantitative research approach, utilizing a questionnaire that incorporates a 5-point Likert scale for data collection. The sample for this study comprises 15 secondary schools that cover grades K-12 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. The analysis was carried out by the researchers on a sample of 437 secondary school teachers, utilizing the Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS) Statistics programme. The primary objective of the research produced findings that demonstrate a noteworthy and statistically significant tendency among educators in secondary schools in the United Arab Emirates to embrace Education 4.0. Similarly, the mean score of the participants’ evaluations regarding performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions in the context of adopting education 4.0 is equally significant. This data sheds light on the factors that impact teachers’ willingness to utilize Education 4.0. On the other hand, the regression analysis produced significant results that provide support for the remaining objectives. The study revealed a significant positive relationship between performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, enabling circumstance, and the inclination to adopt Education 4.0. The research study provided a significant contribution to the current knowledge base about the theory and practical implementation of technology adoption inside secondary educational institutions in a developing nation context. Moreover, the results of this investigation possess the capacity to augment the calibre of pedagogical methodologies for educational managers, instructors, and school administrators. The objective can be accomplished by promoting the creation and use of appropriate educational settings that effectively integrate the desire to employ Education 4.0 systems. As a result, educators can obtain substantial benefits from these technological improvements. Furthermore, the findings inferred from the data indicate that the researcher has effectively showcased that a significant proportion of research endeavours examining the adoption of technology, applying the Unified Theory of User Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTUAT) framework, and have primarily concentrated on nations in the western hemisphere and those characterized by industrialization. This study has provided empirical evidence to support a comparison analysis between its conclusions and existing research conducted in western contexts on Middle Eastern countries.