Digital Creativity as a Mediator between Attitude Toward Digitalization and Educational Management Information Systems

In the era of digital transformation, the effectiveness of Educational Management Information Systems (EMI) depends not only on technological infrastructure but also on users’ attitudes and creative capacities. While prior studies have explored technology adoption in education, limited research has examined how attitudes toward digitalization (ATD) and digital creativity (DCR) interact to influence EMIS performance across diverse institutional contexts. This study investigated the mediating role of DCR in the relationship between ATD and EMI. Data were collected from 345 participants via online questionnaires, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test four hypothesized relationships. The results indicated that ATD positively affects EMIS performance both directly and indirectly through DCR. Importantly, DCR emerged as a significant mediator, demonstrating that positive attitudes provide the motivational foundation for technology adoption, while creative engagement with digital tools transforms these attitudes into innovative and contextually adapted EMI applications. Overall, the findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how user attitudes and creativity jointly drive the successful integration and optimization of digital educational systems, offering practical insights for enhancing technology adoption in higher education.