Institutional Readiness, and Ethical Awareness in AI Adoption within Iranian Higher Education

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly transformed higher education by enhancing efficiency, personalization, and decision-making. Despite these opportunities, the adoption of AI technologies in developing countries remains limited, suggesting that acceptance depends on factors beyond technical performance. This study extends the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by incorporating three additional constructs: Trust in AI (TR), Institutional Readiness (IR), and Ethical Awareness (EA). The research examines Behavioral Intention (BI) toward AI adoption among both educators and students in Iranian universities using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, interviews identified contextual and behavioral factors influencing adoption, while the quantitative phase employed Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test the proposed relationships. The findings show that Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) strongly predict BI. TR and IR indirectly affect adoption through PU, while EA demonstrates both direct and indirect effects on BI. The study provides theoretical insights into the multidimensional nature of AI adoption and practical guidance for enhancing trust, readiness, and ethical responsibility in higher education institutions.

کلیدواژه ها:

Artificial Intelligence ، Higher Education ، Technology Adoption