E-Learning Adoption and Challenges Among Adult Learners in Tertiary Continuing Education in Oyo State

This study examined e-learning adoption behaviour and associated challenges among adult learners in continuing education programmes at tertiary institutions in Oyo State, South West Nigeria. The expansion of e-learning platforms in Nigerian tertiary education has opened new continuing education opportunities for adult learners; however, adoption barriers specific to non-traditional adult learner populations in Oyo State have not been empirically characterised. The study employed a quantitative survey design grounded in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology framework, involving 220 adult continuing education learners from three tertiary institutions in Ibadan and Ogbomosho. A validated e-learning adoption questionnaire, technology anxiety scale, and demographic survey formed the data collection instruments. Structural equation modelling was used to identify adoption predictors. Findings revealed that performance expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions were the strongest adoption predictors, while effort expectancy was less significant than predicted by the theoretical framework. Technology anxiety was a significant negative predictor of e-learning adoption, particularly among learners aged 40 and above. Unreliable internet connectivity and high data costs were the most frequently cited adoption barriers, suggesting infrastructure and economic rather than attitudinal constraints as primary adoption limitations. The study contributes a validated UTAUT-based model of e-learning adoption specific to the Nigerian adult continuing education context. Recommendations include subsidising data access for adult learners, investing in blended learning infrastructures that accommodate offline activity, and providing technology anxiety reduction workshops for adult learner populations. Keywords: e-learning adoption, adult learners, continuing education, UTAUT, Oyo State.