New technology in health education: Nursing students’ application of mobile technology in the classroom in Ghana

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate undergraduate nursing students’ use of mobile learning (m-learning) and the factors contributing to their use of m-learning.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 586 nursing students from three universities in Ghana participated in this study. Survey questionnaires were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, sample t-test and multiple regression were used to analyze the data.

Findings

The research found that most students owned smartphones. Mobile technology was mainly used for doing homework. The result indicates that gender differences exist in terms of perceived usefulness of m-learning. In addition, age differences exist with regard to the perceived ease of use of m-learning. Furthermore, students showed positive attitudes toward the use of technology. Finally, perceived usefulness and attitudes toward the use of technology predicted students’ intention to use m-learning.

Originality/value

Despite the abundance of research on nursing education in other countries, there is a lack of research on nursing students’ use of m-learning and factors influencing their implementation of m-learning in higher learning institutions in Ghana. This study is important because it provides a clear description of nursing students’ use of m-learning and factors affecting their use in schools. Also, the author suggests that information from this study assists school administrators and nursing educators to understand students’ positions regarding m-learning in classroom.

Citation

Buabeng-Andoh, C. (2018), "New technology in health education: Nursing students’ application of mobile technology in the classroom in Ghana", Interactive Technology and Smart Education, Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 46-58. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITSE-09-2016-0039