EXPLAINING TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY STUDENTS' ADOPTION OF LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: AN INTEGRATED TAM–UTAUT FRAMEWORK USING PLS-SEM AND NECESSARY CONDITION ANALYSIS
Sep 2026· Geo Journal of Tourism and Geosites· 0 citations
Abstract
The rapid integration of large language models (LLMs) in higher education has transformed students' learning
practices, particularly in applied disciplines such as tourism and hospitality education. Yet, limited empirical research explains
the factors driving their adoption. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance
and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this study examines tourism and hospitality students' behavioural intention to use LLM-based
learning tools by incorporating content reliability, learner motivation, and social influence as extended antecedents. Data were
collected from 365 university students enrolled in tourism, hospitality and management courses in addition to the students
enrolled in other allied programs having tourism as an elective course in India and analysed using partial least squares structural
equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA). The findings indicate that perceived usefulness remains
central to adoption, while learner motivation and social influence play critical enabling roles. NCA further reveals that perceived
usefulness, learner motivation, and social influence constitute necessary conditions for achieving high adoption intention. By
integrating net-effect and necessity-based approaches, the study advances technology acceptance theory in AI-enabled education in
tourism and hospitality. It offers practical insights for the responsible integration of LLMs in professional learning contexts.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) has become an increasingly important strategic framework for higher education institutions seeking to strengthen sustainability, institutional reputation, and stakeholder engagement. This study investigates the impact of ESG integration in university marketing activities on high school students' choice of higher education institutions in Northern Vietnam. A quantitative research design was employed using a structured questionnaire administered to 300 Grade 12 students. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach's Alpha, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and multiple linear regression with IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0. The findings demonstrate that all three ESG dimensions significantly and positively influence students' university choice. Among them, Social Integration exerts the strongest effect, followed by Governance Integration and Environmental Integration. The results suggest that prospective students increasingly value universities that communicate authentic commitments to social responsibility, transparent governance, and environmental sustainability. This study contributes to the growing literature on ESG and higher education marketing by providing empirical evidence from Vietnam and highlights ESG-oriented marketing as an effective strategy for enhancing institutional attractiveness and strengthening student recruitment.
Bui Ngoc Han· International Journal of Bus...· 0 citations
Although practical learning is central to hospitality and tourism (H&T) education, limited research has examined how it shapes students’ intentions to pursue careers in the industry, particularly in AI-enabled service contexts. Drawing on social cognitive career theory, this study examines whether practical learning influences job intention through perceived employability, AI readiness and self-congruence with future professional roles.
An online survey was conducted with 547 third- and fourth-year H&T students in Vietnam who had participated in practical learning activities. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.
Practical learning positively influences perceived employability and AI readiness. These factors, in turn, contribute to job intention through actual self-congruence and ideal self-congruence. The results further show that employability dimensions do not operate uniformly, with general competence and work attitude displaying different relationships with self-congruence. The study therefore shows that job intention is shaped by both capability-related and identity-related mechanisms.
H&T educators and industry partners should design practical learning experiences that support not only competence development and AI readiness but also students’ reflection on their fit with future professional roles in increasingly technology-mediated work settings.
This study contributes to the H&T education literature by explaining job intention through the joint effects of perceived employability, AI readiness and self-congruence. It also extends research on graduate employability by highlighting the role of identity-related mechanisms in students’ career decision-making in AI-enabled service environments.
Phuong Thi Kim Tran, N. Vo, Nhat Thong Thi Nguyen et al.· Higher Education, Skills and...· 0 citations
This study systematically examines the drivers and barriers influencing students' sustained usage intention toward artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC) tools in educational settings. As AIGC tools are increasingly introduced into teaching and learning activities, understanding how students accept, evaluate, and continue to use these tools is essential for promoting sustainable digital learning in higher education. Grounded in the Uses and Gratifications Theory and the Perceived Value Theory, this study develops an integrated model to explain students' continuance intention toward AIGC tools from both motivational and inhibitory perspectives.
Questionnaire data were collected from 528 Chinese university students and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The study also examined the moderating role of perceived trust and conducted multi-group analysis to explore differences across student groups.
Content gratification, utilitarian gratification, and social gratification were significantly positively associated with continued usage intention. Among these factors, learning needs and perceived usefulness showed the strongest positive associations, whereas enjoyment within hedonic gratification showed no significant association. Perceived risk and perceived cost were significantly negatively associated with continued usage intention. Perceived trust significantly moderated the relationships between key gratifications, perceived sacrifices, and sustained usage intention. Multi-group analysis further revealed that postgraduates placed greater emphasis on information retrieval, undergraduates relied more on trust to reduce uncertainty, and infrequent users were more strongly associated with novelty.
These findings contribute to understanding the psychological mechanisms underlying students' sustained use of AIGC tools and provide practical implications for their responsible integration into higher education. Universities and educators should enhance the functional and learning-support value of AIGC tools while establishing clear usage guidelines, strengthening privacy protection, reducing cost barriers, and providing differentiated instructional support.
Qianghong Huang, Junping Xu, Ru Zhang et al.· Frontiers in Psychology· 0 citations
This study examines vocational tourism education at the secondary level in Türkiye by assessing trainee students’ core competencies from the perspectives of hotel department managers. Drawing on Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and organizational size theory, it investigates how organizational scale and trainee density influence student performance during work-integrated learning. Data were collected through a census of 190 department managers in hotels operating under an official ministerial protocol and analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Findings indicate that students demonstrate significantly higher proficiency, cooperation, workplace harmony, and responsibility in smaller hotels (40 or fewer employees) and in settings with lower trainee density. However, notable weaknesses emerge in foreign-language proficiency and autonomous problem-solving. The study concludes that optimizing trainee density and learning environments, alongside curriculum redesign and stronger school–industry collaboration, can enhance the effectiveness of vocational tourism education.
Kurtuluş Tuncer, Burhan Sevim, Serkan Çalışkan· International Journal of Soc...· 0 citations
In Malaysia, the development of human capital and the country's economic transformation are greatly aided by Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). However, Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates' student enrollment regularly falls short of strategic national goals. This empirical study assesses the structural relationships between TVET knowledge, social influence, perceived industry value, career self-efficacy, attitude toward TVET, and TVET acceptance. It is based on an integrated framework that combines Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). A multi-stage stratified sampling technique was used to gather data from n = 387 SPM students in five different geographical regions in Peninsular and East Malaysia SPM. To test the proposed routes, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used. The empirical results show that attitude toward TVET and career self-efficacy are strongly influenced by TVET knowledge (β = 0.312, p < 0.001), perceived industry value (β = 0.354, p < 0.001), and social influence (β = 0.285, p < 0.001). Additionally, the path toward TVET acceptance is significantly mediated by attitude toward TVET (β = 0.384, p < 0.001) and career self-efficacy (β = 0.342, p < 0.001) (r2 = 0.584). The effect of TVET knowledge on acceptance is strongly moderated by geographic location (rural vs. urban), with a greater positive effect among rural cohorts, according to multi-group analysis (MGA). For educational policymakers and career counseling frameworks under Dasar TVET Negara 2030, these findings offer practical empirical assistance.
Anwar Ja’afar, Muhamad Jufri Ismail, Mohammad Syakir Zainozaman et al.· International journal of res...· 0 citations
This study addresses the growing demand for 21st-century learning readiness, which requires not only cognitive competence but also ethical and value-based orientation. Within Islamic Education, Hadith Tarbawi is often underutilized as a pedagogical resource, despite its potential to support holistic student development. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effect of Hadith Tarbawi utilization in Islamic Education on students’ 21st-century learning readiness, with critical thinking and religious commitment as mediating variables. This research employed a quantitative explanatory design involving 218 upper secondary students. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The analysis included measurement model evaluation and structural model testing, along with mediation analysis using bootstrapping procedures. The findings reveal that Hadith Tarbawi utilization has a significant positive effect on 21st-century learning readiness, both directly and indirectly. It significantly enhances students’ critical thinking and religious commitment, which in turn contribute to improved learning readiness. Mediation analysis confirms that both variables act as partial mediators, indicating the integration of cognitive and affective-religious dimensions. These results imply that Hadith Tarbawi, when implemented through contextual and reflective pedagogical approaches, can serve as an effective educational tool aligned with contemporary learning demands. This study contributes to bridging Islamic educational sources with modern competency-based frameworks and offers practical guidance for developing holistic, value-oriented learning models in Islamic Education.
Naila Intania, M. Luthfi, E. Fitriana et al.· Tafkir: Interdisciplinary Jo...· 0 citations