Malaysian Higher Education Instructors’ Willingness to Use or Not Use Mobile Instant Messaging (MIM) Applications: A Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) Approach

The pervasive nature of mobile devices, particularly mobile instant messaging (MIM) applications or services in mobile telephones, has changed some instructors’ pedagogical methods as well as their professional and personal lives. The lack of understanding on instructors’ perspectives towards the adoption and adaptation of using MIM applications with students warrants further research. The aim of this study is to: (1) understand how cultural, political, technical and learning activity factors affect instructors’ willingness to adopt the use of MIM applications with students after office hours; and (2) examine instructors’ adaptation towards using or not using MIM applications with students after office hours through the political, cultural, technical and learning activities perspectives. This study takes evidence from higher education institution (HEI) instructors in Malaysia and adopts a qualitative constructivist grounded theory (CGT) approach by conducting 20 in-depth interviews with participants. Findings of this study inform each factor’s contribution towards influencing participants’ willingness to adopt and adapt to using or not using MIM applications with students, particularly after office hours. Results in this study revealed 3 categories of instructors: Willing; Unwilling in principle, used in practice; and Unwilling. The cultural, political and learning activity factors were more prevalent in influencing participants’ willingness to adopt and adapt to using or not using MIM applications with students. Findings of this study contribute to research by: (1) identifying a framework that eliminates the technical factor but replaces the technical factor with the learning activity factor, as this influences instructors’ willingness to adopt and adapt to change; and (2) proposing a quantitative survey instrument to measure and identify factors that can potentially influence instructors’ willingness to adopt and adapt to using or not using MIM applications with s