Over the past three decades, the Technology Acceptance model (TAM) has garnered considerable attention in higher education. COVID-19 boosted the development of TAM as multiple studies were rapidly undertaken during the pandemic. This, however, created a gap in our current understanding of the directions and trends of TAM advancement. The purpose of this study is to obtain insight into the advancement of TAM throughout the pandemic. It would assist researchers in comprehending the advancement and direction of TAM studies in higher education, such as gaining an understanding of the prevalent external variables for TAM, the statistical analysis employed, research methodologies, the technologies studied, and the geographic location of the research conducted. Finally, research gaps and future directions for TAM studies are presented. A systematic review utilizing PRISMA was conducted on 104 sampled publications. It was found that self-efficacy, subjective norms, experience, and enjoyment were the external variables most frequently used in TAM, while internal motivation received minimal attention. The existing studies have focused mainly on student samples, so further investigation is needed into lecturers, higher education personnel, and mixed groups. Further study is also required on qualitative and mixed methods, with the partial least square structural equation model currently dominating statistical analysis. Future technologies such as 5G, AI, cloud computing, augmented reality, virtual reality, and BYOD represent new TAM-related research gaps. The majority of studies have been undertaken in Asian countries, such as China and those in southeast Asia. This new systematic literature review provides insight into the trend of TAM advancement in the sustainability of higher education during the pandemic, the identified research gaps, and recommendations for future research directions. These findings also serve as a reference for future research by enhancing the foundation established by previous reviews and research on TAM, thereby facilitating the model’s ongoing expansion.

E-wallets are one of the breakthroughs brought forth by the evolution of FinTech, which has been accentuated by the global outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, it is critical to comprehend the factor of e-wallet acceptance. As this technology advances, substantial knowledge and research gaps become apparent. Previous studies on e-wallet acceptance have overlooked the importance of motivation and self-efficacy. There is a dearth of focus on certain age groups, such as Gen Z, which is currently the trendsetter of new technologies. This study aims to close the gaps regarding the lack of focus toward Gen Z, motivation, and self-efficacy in understanding e-wallet acceptance by combining the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Self-Efficacy (SE), and Digital Media Self-Efficacy (DMSE) to fully understand the factors influencing e-wallet acceptance among Gen Z, using 233 samples to test 16 hypotheses derived from the identified research and knowledge gaps. External Regulation (ER), SE, and DMSE are the determinants of acceptance, according to Structural Equation Model analysis conducted. Mediation analysis reveals that Attitude toward Use (AT) is the full mediator of Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Ease of Use (PEU). The quintessential outcome of this research is the Model of E-Wallet Acceptance among Gen Z, which is significant for FinTech industries looking to strategically roll out e-wallet initiatives as well as a point of exploration for numerous future academic research and development.

Self-Determination Theory (SDT) has been studied to comprehend human motivation, particularly in education. Numerous studies have been conducted at universities regarding online learning as a technology to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. On the basis of these expansions, however, there is a knowledge gap regarding what constitutes advancement, future direction, and research gaps regarding SDT in university online learning. This new systematic literature review analyzed 49 articles using PRISMA to bridge the knowledge gap. Currently, SDT research in online learning at university does not extensively integrate other theories and models, but there is a trend toward acceptance models and cognitive theories. Future research should incorporate additional SDT factors such as intrinsic motivation, external regulation, identified regulation, and amotivation in addition to autonomy, competence, and relatedness. As most research samples students, a research gap involving lecturers and mixed groups is suggested. The future is anticipated to be dominated by quantitative research, leaving qualitative and mixed methods as points of exploration. This review sheds light on the advancements, future direction, and research gaps regarding SDT in university-level online learning. It could serve as a basis for future research in SDT within the context of online education.

An ideal education is the one that enhance cognitive ability. In Malaysia, educators are currently putting enormous effort to uplift higher order think-ing skills (HOTS) among students at various educational levels. The ad-vancement of technology enables educators to apply online learning envi-ronment to further catalyze the effort. Integration of correct pedagogy is es-sential, 5E inquiry model by Bybee was implemented to 5E online learning environment – a learning environment developed for this research. The pur-pose of this research is to enhance HOTS among the samples. Thus, the cog-nitive impact of the learning environment was studied. The current gap of the learning activities that improve HOTS was addressed by probing into the activities done by samples. Samples are thirty-three secondary school students and had treatment with the learning environment for 4 weeks. T-test conducted found that samples’ HOTS statistically significant higher af-ter treatment compared to prior to the treatment, t (32) = - 20.95, p < 0.05 that indicates the treatment improve samples’ HOTS. The learning activities that materialize HOTS improvement is engaging learning module and HOTS related video. This research proves that human HOTS ability can be nur-tured by using technology enhanced learning environment with the appro-priate pedagogical approach. Deeper fundamental research regarding the pro-cess of learning that nurture HOTS is highly recommended in the future – one of the authors is currently working on.