Students' Acceptance and Academic Use of Social Networking Sites: A Qualitative TAM-TTF-Based Analysis

Abstract

This study aims to investigate students’ acceptance and use of Social Networking Sites (SNSs) for academic purposes. Using a qualitative case study methodology and drawing on the integrated Technology Acceptance Model and Task Technology Fit model (TAM–TTF), data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 English studies students from Sultan Moulay Slimane University. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed that students’ engagement with SNSs is shaped by a dynamic interplay of technological, individual, and psychological factors rather than a simple behavioral choice. participants particularly identified accessibility, utility, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness, especially the platforms’ low data consumption, as key factors driving both their adoption and sustained use of SNSs for academic purposes. The implications of these results for the effective design and implementation of institutional technologies are discussed.