Exploring the influence of enablers and inhibitors on actual use of online interactive tools in higher education: a configurational analysis with fsQCA

Purpose Online interactive tools (OITs) such as Nearpod, Kahoot and BookWidgets hold significant potential for transforming higher education. However, a persistent and compelling phenomenon is their inconsistent adoption by faculty, which hinders the widespread realization of their pedagogical benefits. While existing research identifies individual adoption factors, it often fails to adequately explain this observed heterogeneity or, critically, how faculty overcome significant adoption barriers such as perceived complexity (PC) or technophobia (TE) – a crucial research gap. This study aims to address this by investigating how diverse configurations of enabling and inhibiting conditions, particularly pathways where specific enablers neutralize inhibitors, lead to faculty OIT adoption within higher education institutions (HEIs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Design/methodology/approach Grounded in dual factor theory (DFT), this research develops a conceptual framework incorporating five enablers – perceived usefulness (PU), result demonstrability (RD), facilitating conditions (FC), personal innovativeness (PI) and continuous feedback (CF) – alongside two key inhibitors – PC and TE. The selection of these constructs was informed by a comprehensive review of extant literature on technology adoption in educational settings. A structured questionnaire was distributed to the entire faculty population across all campuses of the higher colleges of technology (HCT) in the UAE, yielding 117 valid responses. Psychometric validation of the constructs was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), followed by fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to identify causal configurations associated with high OIT adoption. Findings The fsQCA revealed five distinct pathways (equifinal configurations) that are sufficient for high OIT adoption. A key finding is that, even in the presence of inhibitors like PC or TE, specific combinations of strong enablers (e.g. high PU coupled with robust FC and RD) effectively overcome these barriers, leading to successful OIT use. This underscores that inhibitor mitigation can be achieved through strategic amplification of enabling factors, offering a granular understanding of the complex dynamics governing OIT integration. Research limitations/implications While this study provides valuable insights into OIT adoption and inhibitor mitigation among faculty within HCT, UAE, its findings may not fully generalize. Future research could explore these configurational dynamics, including the interplay of different inhibitors and enablers, in diverse institutional settings. The study focused on a limited set of factors, leaving room for future work to incorporate additional elements like organizational culture. Reliance on self-reported data and subjective calibration in fsQCA, alongside a cross-sectional design, presents opportunities for future studies to integrate objective usage metrics and longitudinal approaches. Practical implications The identified configurations offer HEIs and policymakers an evidence-based diagnostic framework to design context-specific interventions. Rather than uniformly reducing all barriers, efforts should prioritize the strategic amplification of key enablers capable of neutralizing specific inhibitors. This insight is particularly valuable for institutions seeking to enhance digital pedagogy through tailored, resource-efficient strategies. The findings of this research provide a roadmap for institutions to enhance digital pedagogy, ultimately contributing to a more skilled workforce and greater educational inclusivity. Originality/value This study challenges the assumptions of traditional linear adoption models by applying a configurational approach using fsQCA. It contributes to the literature by demonstrating that distinct combinations of enablers can mitigate the effects of adoption barriers, an area that remains underexplored with such empirical depth. From both academic and institutional standpoints, this research offers a richer understanding of faculty decision-making and practical pathways for fostering digital innovation in higher education.