Factors influencing students’ intention to use E-Portfolios through perceived benefits: A case study at Van Lang University

Abstract

This study aims to examine the factors influencing the intention to use electronic portfolios (E-Portfolios) among higher education students at Van Lang University (VLU). Drawing upon foundational technology acceptance theories, specifically the Information Systems Success Model and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the research proposes a streamlined three-construct framework isolating system quality (SQ), perceived benefits (PEB), and intention to use (ITU). Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey from a diverse sample of 156 undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni, and subsequently analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The empirical results reveal that SQ significantly and positively impacts PEB (β=0.755, p<0.001), and PEB robustly influences ITU (β=0.637, p<0.001). However, SQ does not have a direct statistically significant effect on ITU (β=−0.013, p>0.05). Instead, PEB fully mediates the relationship between SQ and ITU (β=0.482, p<0.001). These findings underscore that technical excellence acts as a hygiene factor, meaning it is a necessary but insufficient condition for E-Portfolio adoption. Ultimately, this study provides actionable insights for universities and developers, emphasising the need to translate technical capabilities into concrete academic and career-ready scenarios to foster sustained student engagement.