A Study On Students’ Acceptance Of Distance Interpreter Training And Its Influencing Factors Based On The Extended UTAUT

Synchronous learning,a mode of E-learning,has been widely applied in higher education with the help of video conferencing platforms.Interpreting programs are no exception.Existing studies mainly focus on the practice of simultaneous interpreting in a distance mode or the comparison of E-learning with face-to-face learning.Among studies devoted to the acceptance of technology in synchronous learning,little attention has been paid to students’ acceptance.Against this background,this thesis explores students’ acceptance of video conferencing platforms applied in the synchronous learning of interpreting by using the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology（UTAUT）model.To explore the relationship between the factors proposed in the extended UTAUT model,this study proposes 8 hypotheses.Exploratory factor analysis（EFA）and confirmatory factor analysis（CFA）were conducted to modify the model.After the model with sound reliability,validity and goodness of fit had been developed,structural equation modelling（SEM）was deployed to test the 8 hypotheses.Semistructural interview was conducted to explore the reasons behind.The research findings show that 1)the video conferencing platform is moderately accepted;2)among factors proposed on the basis of the extended UTAUT model,performance expectancy,facilitating conditions and system quality have significant impact on behavior intention,and facilitating conditions and personal innovativeness have significant impact on effort expectancy.Regarding theoretical contributions,this thesis modifies the UTAUT model to analyze the acceptance of a technological system in distance interpreter education,which enriches studies in this field from a different perspective.In addition,research methodology and tools applied in this thesis can also serve as reference for future quantitative studies on this subject.In respect of practice,this thesis reveals the factors that can influence the acceptance of the system from the students’ perspective.To improve students’ acceptance,institutions could introduce to students the technologies applied in interpreting so that students can attach greater importance to this.They should be provided with more opportunities to use such mode.Teachers should pay enough attention to the difficulties students encounter and provide necessary support.The designers of the system should continue to optimize the system by reducing its latency and improving the audio and video quality.