Citation: Voicu, M.-C.; Muntean, M.
Factors That Influence Mobile
Learning among University Students
in Romania. Electronics 2023, 12, 938.
https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics
12040938
Academic Editors: Mohammed
Amin Almaiah, Ahmad
Al-Khasawneh, Sébastien Jacques,
Omar Almomani and Christos
J. Bouras
Received: 1 December 2022
Revised: 28 January 2023
Accepted: 10 February 2023
Published: 13 February 2023
Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
4.0/).
electronics
Article
Factors That Influence Mobile Learning among University
Students in Romania
Mirela-Catrinel Voicu * and Mihaela Muntean
East-European Center for Research in Economics and Business, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration,
West University of Timisoara, 300223 Timisoara, Romania
* Correspondence: mirela.voicu@e-uvt.ro
Abstract: During the pandemic years, universities worldwide adopted online teaching on a large
scale. Besides desktop systems or laptops, many students also use smartphones for online learn-
ing. In our paper, we propose a hybrid theoretical model to analyze the continuance intention
to use mobile learning in higher education. The scientific demarche is carried out from different
perspectives opened by the models and theories integrated in a unitary approach. In addition to
the main constructs taken from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of
Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the research model was enriched with new capabilities
by considering the Motivational Model (MM), Flow Theory (FT) and the Social Cognitive Theory
(SCT). The research model was applied to the Romanian higher education environment and proved
that perceived usefulness (PU), habit (HB), perceived skill (PS), and self-efficacy (SE) directly influ-
ence the continuance intention to use (CU) smartphones in higher education. Further, performance
expectancy (PFE), intrinsic motivation (IM), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and perceived enjoyment
(PE) indirectly influence the continuance intention to use (CU). We presented our results according to
top studies on the critical challenges and factors influencing smart mobile learning success usage
during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, we found that Romanian universities provide excellent IT
infrastructure and top management support and that creating habits of using m-learning in the
context of university classes will strengthen the university culture. The conclusions of the undertaken
research represent a starting point in the diversification and flexibility of educational processes in
Romanian universities.
Keywords: mobile learning; continuance intention to use; perceived usefulness; habit; perceived skill;
self-efficacy
1. Introduction
Mobile learning (m-learning) is a broad term for defining e-learning processes achieved
with the help of personal mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and digital
notebooks. M-learning represents a natural evolution of e-learning and adds a missing
component, such as the wireless feature [1]. Studies on the educational and institutional
implications of students’ choices to use mobile devices in the learning process are up to date
considering the explosion of m-learning during and after the COVID-19 period [2,3]. “The
convergence of the mobile devices with existing educational technologies provides learners
with greater flexibility by making homogenous learning activities available and accessible
by heterogeneous mobile/smart devices” [4]. The learning process involves reading ebooks
and documents (e.g., word or pdf); watching educational videos with learning content;
attending video conferences; or any learning activity using mobile devices. M-learning is
accessible in formal and informal learning environments (see [5,6]). Mobile devices permit
students to continue their studies irrespective of location or time zone, improving their
learning intention and significance [7,8]. M-learning is flexible learning—“just enough,
just in time, just for me” [9]. M-learning helps learners’ self-organization, self-direction,
Electronics 2023, 12, 938. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12040938 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/electronics