Evaluating the Effects of Students’ Motivation and Perceptions of AI on Their Learning Performance and Behavioral Intention

This study explores how student motivation and perceptions of AI influence learning performance and behavioral intentions in hospitality and tourism education. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model, this study examines the impact of students’ motivation on perceived usefulness and ease of use of AI, and how these factors affect attitudes, learning performance, and behavioral intention. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including semi-structured open-ended interviews with 23 hospitality and tourism students and a survey of 367 students in Colombia. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The findings indicate that students’ motivation is a key factor in shaping perceptions of AI’s usefulness and ease of use, thereby affecting attitudes toward AI, learning performance, and behavioral intention. Future research should investigate the long-term effects of AI on student learning and provide hospitality and tourism educators with strategic opportunities to leverage AI tools to enhance student learning experience.