<![CDATA[The rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education has raised important questions about the factors that facilitate or hinder student use of these tools. This study examines the mediating role of digital literacy in the relationship between performance expectancy and GenAI adoption among engineering students. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed, involving 200 engineering students from Universitas Negeri Makassar, Indonesia, selected through accidental sampling. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with bootstrapping procedures. The results show that performance expectancy has a positive direct effect on GenAI adoption (β = 0.241, p < 0.001) and a positive effect on digital literacy (β = 0.525, p < 0.001). More importantly, digital literacy significantly mediates the relationship between performance expectancy and GenAI adoption, with an indirect effect of β = 0.240 (p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.160, 0.320]) and a variance accounted for (VAF) of 49.9%, indicating partial mediation. The model explains 38.1% of the variance in GenAI adoption. These findings extend the UTAUT framework by identifying digital literacy as a key mechanism that translates perceived usefulness into actual adoption behavior. Practically, the results underscore the need for higher education institutions to integrate digital literacy training into engineering curricula alongside efforts to demonstrate the benefits of GenAI]]>
Copyrights © 2026
