Mobile learning acceptance among pre-service teachers in the Global South: a TPACK-based structural equation modelling approach

Despite sustained efforts to integrate mobile learning into teacher education, technology acceptance models remain largely perception-driven rather than competence-based. This study challenges that paradigm by examining how pre-service teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) shapes their acceptance of mobile learning. Guided by TPACK and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), data were collected via a 49-item electronic questionnaire administered to 292 S-year Bachelor of Education students. Partial least squares structural equation modelling revealed that pedagogical knowledge is the strongest predictor of TPACK. In contrast, pedagogical content knowledge was non-significant, highlighting that mobile learning competence is anchored in pedagogy rather than content expertise. The model explained 63.5% of the variance in TPACK, 22.8% in perceived ease of use (PEOU), 44.3% in perceived usefulness (PU), and 44.8% in behavioural intention (BI). TPACK significantly influenced PEOU and BI, indicating that pre-service teachers’ pedagogical capability drives mobile learning acceptance more strongly than perceptions of utility or usability. Theoretically, the study reframes mobile learning adoption as epistemic rather than psychological, positioning pedagogical design, not perception, as the core of digital competence. In practice, the findings underscore the need for pedagogy-first training that equips pre-service teachers to teach with technology rather than merely fostering positive attitudes. In integrating TPACK and TAM, this research advances the understanding of competence-led mobile learning adoption.