Exploring the influence of cognitive factors among Chinese parents on the sustainability of children's digital education.

Abstract

Background: The proliferation of mobile internet requires children's educational software to be evaluated rigorously and implemented effectively to ensure quality and sustainable development. Understanding the determinants of parents' decisions to sustain the use of such tools is critical with respect to efforts to optimize software design, develop frameworks for relevant policies, and improve digital education strategies.

Research methods: A theoretical model that integrates the expectation confirmation model (ECM) with the technology acceptance model (TAM) was developed to predict parents' continuance intentions. Data collected from 276 Chinese parents were analysed via structural equation modelling (SEM) with the goal of validating the proposed hypotheses.

Findings: Perceived playability, usefulness, social influence, and satisfaction significantly predict continuance intention. Expectation confirmation positively influences playability, ease of use, and satisfaction while reducing perceived risk, although it does not affect continuance decisions directly.

Conclusion: Chinese parents prioritize educational efficacy and interactivity in terms of the apps used by their children; thus, developers should establish a balance between pedagogical value and engagement. Social influence serves as a pivotal driver of adoption, thus highlighting the need for reliable information dissemination. Although perceived risk has only a minimal impact in this context, proactive measures to safeguard content quality and privacy remain imperative.