Abstract:

The usage of e-Learning offers diverse benefits to students. However, the problematic academic fiasco and dropout are also very familiar in the current literature; hence, the central focus of this research is to scrutinize academics’ perceptions of the influence of Learning Management Systems (LMS) on students’ academic performance amongst this high academic fiasco and dropout rates, especially in this e-Learning era despite all its advantages. The aim was achieved by following these objectives; (i) to design a theoretically sound model relating LMS and students’ academic performance; (ii) to empirically test the designed model; and (iii) to suggest recommendations on how to improve the perceptions of academics on the impact of LMSs on academic performance. The content analysis method was utilized to review prevailing literature and to design the proposed model. Consequently, a survey of 78 academic staff from four public universities in South Africa was utilized to empirically test the designed model. Academics’ perceived impact of LMSs on academic performance is indirectly affected by academics’ gender, their type of employment (contract or permanent) and their ethnicity. In contrast, they are directly affected by their e-Learning attitude, computer self-efficacy, pedagogical beliefs, and their use of LMSs. This study concludes that academics’ perceived impact of LMSs on academic performance can be improved by augmenting academics’ computer self-efficacy, their pedagogical beliefs, and their attitude towards LMSs.