Evaluation of metaverse use intention in software education of university students: combining technology acceptance model with external variables

Technological advancements in recent years have accelerated the development of information and communication technologies, introducing numerous innovations. One prominent innovation is the concept of the metaverse, which has gained significant popularity and is increasingly influencing various sectors, including the economy, art, entertainment, and education. Despite its growing relevance, there is a practical gap in understanding how management information systems students in Türkiye perceive the use of the metaverse for software education. This study aims to address this gap by exploring students’ perceptions and identifying the factors that influence their intentions to use the metaverse. The conceptual model includes adoption characteristics such as traibility, observability, compatibility, and complexity, as well as user satisfaction, personal innovativeness, and the structures of the technology acceptance model. The data of the study were obtained from 877 students, and the collected data were analyzed utilizing the structural equation modeling technique. The results indicate that personal innovativeness positively influences perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. However, perceived observability, user compatibility, and perceived traibility did not significantly impact user satisfaction. Conversely, perceived usefulness, user satisfaction, and perceived ease of use positively affect students’ intentions to use the metaverse for software education. This study offers valuable contributions to the metaverse literature, educators, field experts, and researchers.