Modeling the Predictors of Innovation Adoption in Nigerian TVET Institutions: A Technology Acceptance and Diffusion Analysis

This study developed and tested a predictive model of innovation adoption in Nigerian TVET institutions, integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation Theory, and institutional readiness theory into an original synthesized framework. Innovation adoption, encompassing pedagogical, technological, and organizational innovations, is central to improving TVET quality, yet existing theoretical models developed in Western or East Asian contexts have not been rigorously tested or adapted for Nigeria's specific institutional conditions. The study employed a quantitative survey and structural equation modelling design, collecting data from 600 TVET lecturers and administrators across 30 institutions in Lagos, Kano, Enugu, and Bauchi States. The Integrated TVET Innovation Adoption Scale (ITIAS) was developed and validated. Structural equation modelling results confirmed a seven-factor model with strong fit indices (CFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.06). Perceived usefulness, institutional leadership support, peer network effects, and compatibility with existing practice were the strongest predictors of adoption intention. Critically, resource availability moderated the relationship between adoption intention and actual adoption behavior, highlighting the importance of institutional capacity alongside attitudinal readiness. The resulting Nigerian TVET Innovation Adoption Model (NTIAM) extends existing models by incorporating resource mediation and peer network pathways specific to sub-Saharan African institutional contexts. Keywords: innovation adoption, TVET institutions, Nigeria, technology acceptance, structural equation modelling.