Intentions to Use E-resources in University Libraries by Postgraduate Students in Sri Lanka: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour

In today’s digital era university libraries are compelled to offer e-resources to fulfil the evolving information needs of their user community and to sustain their relevance. Postgraduate students are an important user category of university libraries and they are provided with support for academic growth and success. Despite significant investments in e-resources by Sri Lankan universities, the effective use of these valuable resources by postgraduate students is still under question. Therefore, this research attempts to examine the significant factors that affect postgraduate students’ intention to utilize e-resources for academic purposes by the application of the prominent Theory of Planned Behaviour. A quantitative approach was followed employing a questionnaire-based survey among a convenient sample (n=102) of postgraduate students enrolled in state universities of Sri Lanka. Results exhibited that Attitude (β =0.521; p<0.05) and Perceived Behavioural Control (β=0.335; p<0.05) were strong predictors of the intention of postgraduate students to use e-resources. However, Subjective Norm was revealed to be a non-significant predictor of the intention.
Further the results verified that the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) explains a considerable proportion of the variance in intention (R2=0.534) within the examined sample. The study renders significant insights into the applicability of TPB within a specific subset of postgraduate students in Sri Lanka and suggests that further studies employing a more representative sample could explore the generalizability of these findings. Understanding the drivers identified through this research could help design interventions that encourage the use of e-resources among postgraduate students in Sri Lanka. This will ultimately enhance their overall educational experience and academic success.