Factors Influencing User Engagement and Usage Behavior in Digital Museums: An Extended TAM Approach

This study aims to improve users’ usage intention to engage with digital museums by providing practical insights for practitioners and new theoretical perspectives for academic researchers. Extending the technology acceptance model (TAM), the study incorporates level challenge as a new factor influencing digital museum usage. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). In addition, the study conducted semi-structured interviews to qualitatively triangulate the SEM findings. The results show that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived playfulness, and level challenge are significant factors affecting digital museum usage behavior. Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use strongly impact users’ usage intention, while perceived playfulness and levels and challenges enhance user engagement and participation. Furthermore, usage intention plays a crucial mediating role in actual usage behavior. This study contributes to TAM by integrating user experience factors specific to digital museums, providing a broader understanding of the determinants of digital museum usage. For museum administrators, the findings suggest that enhancing the platform’s perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived playfulness while incorporating levels and challenges, can significantly improve user engagement and retention.