This study examines the factors influencing postgraduate students’ continuous use intention of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) within the context of university teaching information environments. By integrating the Expectation-Confirmation Model of Information System Continuance (ECM-ISC) with Social Cognitive Theory and Self-Regulated Learning (SRL), the study proposes a comprehensive framework to explain long-term MOOC engagement in postgraduate education.
A mixed-methods research design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 625 postgraduate students at Southwest Jiaotong University Hope College and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test hypothesized relationships. In addition, Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) was applied to identify multiple configurations of conditions leading to high levels of continuous use intention.
The SEM results indicate that learning environment support, intrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy exert significant positive effects on satisfaction and self-regulated learning ability, which function as key mediating mechanisms influencing continuous use intention. The fsQCA findings further reveal that sustained MOOC engagement is driven not by single factors in isolation, but by synergistic combinations of system-level support and individual learner capabilities.
This study contributes theoretically by extending ECM-ISC to the postgraduate MOOC context and empirically demonstrating the complementary value of SEM and fsQCA. Practically, the findings offer strategic insights for higher education institutions to enhance sustainable MOOC adoption through dual strategies of system optimization and individual empowerment within digital learning ecosystems