Informal Social Learning for Digital Financial Inclusion: How Rural Farmers Learn to Accept Digital Payments in Indonesia

Muhammad Nurjihadi (Universitas Teknologi Sumbawa)
Zulkieflimansyah Zulkieflimansyah (Universitas Teknologi Sumbawa)
Niken Saptarini (Universitas Teknologi Sumbawa)
Diah Anggeraini Hasri (Universitas Teknologi Sumbawa)

International Journal of Social Learning (IJSL)
Vol. 6 No. 3 (2026): August

Digital financial inclusion is currently acknowledged as a key factor in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It requires not only access to digital financial technologies but also the ability to learn how to use them effectively. This study examines how socially mediated informal learning shapes farmers’ cognitive evaluations and behavioral intention to use digital payment systems. Integrating Social Learning Theory with the Technology Acceptance Model, the study examines observational learning, vicarious experience, and social interaction as learning mechanisms influencing perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU). Survey data from 316 Indonesian farmers were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The findings show that observational learning significantly influences both PU and PEOU, while vicarious experience influences PEOU but not PU. Social interaction has no significant effect on either construct. Both PU and PEOU significantly influence behavioral intention. The findings highlight informal learning as crucial for strengthening digital financial inclusion among Indonesian farmers.