An Empirical Survey On College Students’ ICT Use In Self-directed Learning Of English Based On Structural Equation Model

Modern society is information society. Information and Communication Technology(ICT) develops rapidly and gradually permeates the field of education. Learning English with ICT is becoming a trend in English education. The traditional English learning mainly depends on Teachers’ "teaching", but in fact students’ self-directed learning plays a key role in the effect of English learning. In order to effectively utilize ICT to assist self-directed learning of English, it is necessary to understand the students’ attitude to ICT use and the situation of ICT use in actual learning.Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, Technology Acceptance Model and Self-regulated Learning, this study analyses and discusses the factors of influencing college students’ ICT use in self-directed learning and presents seven hypotheses that influence students’ ICT use from attitude, perceived behavior control and subjective norm and then sets up the initial structural equation model by the software of Amos.This research uses the data that is collected from questionnaire to verify whether the initial structural equation model is reasonable and revises it and obtains the final model and test results of these seven hypothesis. Finally, this paper makes explanation, analysis and discussion of the final model according to the related theories. The results show that perceived usefulness influences students’ ICT use directly; Educational compatibility influences students’ ICT use indirectly via perceived usefulness; Language learning motivation influences students’ ICT use directly, and indirectly via perceived usefulness and self-regulation; Computer self-efficacy influences students’ ICT use indirectly via educational compatibility; Self-regulation influences students’ ICT use indirectly via computer self-efficacy; Facilitating conditions influence students’ ICT use indirectly via computer self-efficacy, Self-regulation and perceived usefulness; Subjective norm indirectly influences students’ ICT use via educational compatibility and is positively correlated with facilitating conditions.The conclusion of this research is as follows: in the environment of self-directed learning, the key factors affecting students’ ICT use is attitude that consists of language learning motivation, perceived usefulness and educational compatibility. Attitude is the most direct factor to influence ICT use and is the driving force of students’ intention to use ICT. Besides, attitude is a bridge of perceived behavior control and subjective norm to influences students’ ICT use indirectly: Facilitating conditions influence students’ ICT use indirectly via perceived usefulness; computer self-efficacy influences students’ ICT use indirectly via educational compatibility; subjective norm indirectly influences students’ ICT use via educational compatibility.The significance of this study is to reveal the factors of influencing students’ ICT use in self-directed English learning and use structural equation model to analyze and explain the complex relationships and interactions between these factors. This research provides some implications for ICT use in self-directed English learning in the future. Attitude is the dominant factor to influence ICT use so that it need to be concerned and utilized rationally in the process of using ICT in order to effectively promote the development of ICT use in self-directed English learning.