Bridging knowledge and perception: Malaysian teachers’ adoption of generative AI in online professional development

This study investigates Malaysian higher-education teachers’ adoption of GenAI by using an integrated Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A total of 400 teachers participated in a quantitative survey analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed that TPACK indirectly affects Intention-to-Use (IU) via perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU), confirming full mediation. This finding indicates that teachers’ professional knowledge shapes their engagement with GenAI primarily through judgements of pedagogical value and usability rather than direct technological competence. The proposed model explained 68% of the variance in IU and 63% and 57% of the variance in PU and PEOU, respectively, showing strong explanatory and predictive capacity. Theoretically, this study extends the hybrid TPACK – TAM model to the context of GenAI-mediated online professional development (OPD), clarifying how knowledge informs perceptions and intentions in technology-rich professional learning. Practically, it offers policy-relevant guidance for designing ethical, affect-sensitive, and sustainable OPD frameworks that build teachers’ GenAI literacy, pedagogical confidence, and institutional trust. The findings contribute to regional discourse on teacher digital transformation in the Asia-Pacific and offer transferable insights for Global South education systems.