Psychological predictors of employee acceptance of mobile learning technologies: A scoping review of global evidence and implications for South African higher education

Mobile learning technologies (MLTs) have been on the rise in both higher education and organisational settings, but progress in implementing them within organisations has been uneven. While there is evidence base for psychological predictors of acceptance across the globe, primarily through the Technology Acceptance Model, Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, and Theory of Planned Behaviour, these models and theories have limited contextual applicability in South African higher education (SAHE). The review followed PRISMA-ScR guidance. Searches were conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, and ERIC for studies published between 2019 and 2025. The synthesis suggests that acceptance is consistently related to perceived usefulness or performance expectancy, perceived ease of use or effort expectancy, self-efficacy, and social influence. These predictors, however, are more strongly moderated by perceived behavioural control, facilitating conditions, anxiety, and trust in SAHE, reflecting infrastructural constraints, workload pressures, and digital inequality. The review concludes that, although dominant acceptance models remain theoretically sound, they need to be applied in the context of SAHE, with a focus on institutional-level interventions. This implies that MLTs are best used as integrated resources rather than as complete replacements for traditional teaching, and that platforms with lower friction are more acceptable to employees.