A Study on the Influence of Language Training Courses on New

Media Platforms on Students' Purchase Intention: From the

Perspective of Planned Behavior Theory

Yihan Dong

, Ruixi Wu

, Yufei Wu

and Yibo Yang

College of Communication, Liaoning University, Shenyang, 110000, China

Broadcasting and Hosting Art, Communication University of China Nanjing, Nanjing, 210000, China

Journalism and Communication, NanJing XiaoZhuang University, Nanjing, 210000, China

Art Studies Music Performance, Inner Mongolia Arts University, Hohhot, 010000, China

Keywords: Language Training Courses, New Media Platforms, Students' Purchase Intention, TPB.

Abstract: In the globalized social context, studying abroad becomes a significant path for students seeking academic

and career advancement. The proliferation of new media platforms has facilitated access to information on

language training for study abroad. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study examines

students' information seeking (IS) behaviors on new media platforms and their impact on attitudes towards

purchasing language courses abroad via a questionnaire. It investigates how attitudes (ATT), subjective norms

(SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) jointly have effect on students' purchase intention. The study

concludes that IS on new media positively correlates with purchasing ATT, which further positively influence

purchase willingness. SN and PB control also positively relate to purchase willingness. This research aids

language training organizations in developing precise and effective strategies, enhancing student satisfaction

and facilitating a more convenient and efficient course selection experience.

1 INTRODUCTION

With the deepening of globalization, more and more

students choose to study abroad in order to expand

their international horizons and obtain a wider range

of educational resources. In this process, language

proficiency has become a major challenge that

international students must face. As a result, there is

a growing demand for language training courses for

studying abroad, especially on new media platforms,

where the dissemination and reception of information

about such courses have become particularly

convenient. When it comes to the course sales of

CCtalk Online School: between 2015 and 2017, the

number of student visits to CCtalk Online School's

paid courses was 204,686, 232,583 and 293,557

separately. The unit prices for customers also

increased to 1966.1 yuan, 2836.4 yuan, and 3170.1

yuan. Individual bloggers such as "Uncle Bao Talks

About Studying Abroad" and study abroad

organizations such as "New Oriental IELTS" reached

4,534,000 followers and 140,000 followers

respectively, introducing study abroad language

training courses on Tiktok platform. The above data

shows that more and more students are interested in

purchasing study abroad audio training courses.

Given the preceding discussion, based on the TPB

model, this study aims to explore the influence of new

media platform language training courses on students'

purchase intention, which is coded for students with

different regions, genders, ages, and education levels

who have the intention to study abroad. By deeply

analyzing the information seeking and attention

behaviors of the study abroad population on new

media platforms and how these behaviors affect

students' attitudes, subjective norms (SN) and

perceived behavioral control (PBC) of the courses,

the present study this paper can further study the

factors that influence their purchase intention.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW AND

HYPOTHESIS OF THE

PRESENT STUDY

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), developed

by Icek Ajzen in 1985, serves as a framework for

predicting and elucidating human behavior.

576

Dong, Y., Wu, R., Wu, Y. and Yang, Y.

A study on the Inﬂuence of Language Training Courses on New Media Platforms on Students’ Purchase Intention: From the Perspective of Planned Behavior Theory.

DOI: 10.5220/0014003600004912

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Innovative Education and Social Development (IESD 2025), pages 576-582

ISBN: 978-989-758-779-5

According to the TPB model, the behavioral intention

(BI) of an individual is a direct determinant of their

behavior, which is influenced by three primary

factors: ATT, SN, and PBC. Drawing on the TPB, this

study investigates the impact of language training

courses on the purchase intention of students using

new media platforms.

Chen Qi (2023) think, IS is the process of using

the Internet to search, browse, obtain, evaluate, use

and other behaviors to meet one's own needs.

Mihyang Park (2011) believed that information

attitudes are diversified, and people will have a

positive or negative attitude in the process of

searching for certain information on new media

platforms. This study explores the impact of IS on

attitude of language training courses for studying

abroad. With the increase of search volume, students

can obtain more comprehensive information, so as to

better understand the course content, teaching quality

and course effect. This more comprehensive

understanding information can enhance students' trust

in the course and thus enhance their purchasing

attitude. Through a large amount of IS, students can

reduce the uncertainty and anxiety about course

selection. With the increase of search volume,

individuals' grasp of information will tend to be

comprehensive, which may be conducive to the

formation of a more positive attitude, there is the

following assumptions around "IS":

H1: Information seeking on language training

courses for studying abroad on the new media

platform will be positively related to the attitude of

students buying language courses (Fig. 1).

ATT has long been an important field of

psychological research (Fretz et al. 1989). So this

branch of this study is aimed at people who actively

search for information about language training

courses for studying abroad on new media platforms

to study the impact of IS on course purchase attitudes.

Psychological research shows that positive emotional

experience enhances motivation and intention. For

example, when students have positive emotions and

expectations for language courses, they are more

motivated to buy courses. This study speculates that

students' positive attitude towards purchasing

language courses may significantly enhance their

intention to purchase language courses. This is an

attitude based on the theory of planning behavio, a

positive attitude usually includes positive emotions

for the course, positive cognitive evaluation, and the

behavioral tendency to buy the course. Students'

positive attitude towards language courses may

translate into stronger purchase intentions. Therefore,

there is the following assumptions around attitude:

H2: The attitude of students buying language

courses is positively related to the student's intention

to buy language courses (Fig. 1).

SN, derived from the TPB, refers to the social

pressure individuals perceive regarding whether to

engage in a specific behavior, and SN will affect the

individual's behavioral decisions, when taking the

TPB as the starting point, discussing its applicability

in the study of consumer BI. The study points out that

other people's views on consumer consumption

behavior are positively related to consumption

intentions, the more others encourage consumption

behavior, the stronger their intention to buy the

product (Li & Wang, 2009). However, most of the

existing studies focus on the relationship between SN

and consumer behavior, there is still little research on

SN and educational selection behaviors. Do students

perceive expectations and support from important

people such as family, friends, teachers, etc. affect

their willingness to buy courses? From this, the

following assumptions can be put forward:

H3: Subjective norms will be positively related to

students' willingness to buy language courses (Fig. 1).

PBC is a fundamental variable in the TPB, after

speculation, perceptual behavior control may

significantly increase students' willingness to

purchase language courses. This is based on the PBC.

PBC is considered to directly affect behavioral intent.

If students can perceive their ability and resources to

complete language courses, they may show a stronger

willingness to buy. This not only depends on the

accurate perception of students' behavior and needs,

it also relies on providing a personalized, interactive

and efficient learning experience through decision-

making and control mechanisms. Do students think

they have the ability and resources to purchase and

successfully participate in these courses? Do they feel

obstacles in course fees, scheduling, technical

support, etc? The following assumptions can be put

forward:

H4: Perceptual behavior control is positively

related to students' willingness to purchase language

courses (Fig. 1).

Through the above analysis, this study will be

based on the PBC, comprehensively explore the

impact of language training courses on students'

willingness to buy on the new media platform, and by

verifying the above assumptions. The study deeply

understand the key factors that affect students'

willingness to buy. Based on four assumptions, the

following models have been made (Fig. 1).

A study on the Inﬂuence of Language Training Courses on New Media Platforms on Students’ Purchase Intention: From the Perspective of

Planned Behavior Theory

577

Figure 1: The impact model of overseas language training

course information seeking on students' purchase intention.

3 METHOD

3.1 Data Collection

An online survey carried out from June 24th to July

12th, 2024, on the online questionnaire platform of

WenJuanXing. Participants were divided into

regions, including North China, Central China, South

China, East China, West China, Northeast China. The

sample was taken from some universities. By July

12th, 2024, 867 participants had completed the survey

questionnaire. The survey results were composed of

students from East China (n=149, 17.79%), Central

China (n=125, 14.42%), West China (n=157,

18.11%), South China (n=127, 14.65%), North China

(n=157, 18.11%) and Northeast China (n=152,

17.53%). Since this study targets students who have a

demand for language courses for studying abroad, the

effective questionnaire was 858.

3.2 Measures

3.2.1 Demographic Variables

Demographic variables include gender, age, degree,

education background and location.

Among the 858 participants, 55.36% were female

and 44.64% were male. The age of participants was

concentrated under 25 years old, with 60.78% of them

being undergraduates and 13.73% being high school

graduates or below, and 25.49% being postgraduates

or above. The educational level was relatively

balanced, with 27.68% of them being ordinary

undergraduates.

3.2.2 Independent Variables

For the measurement of Information Seeking, Wilson

(2000) first proposed the concept of information

seeking behavior, which refers to the user's

purposeful search for information to meet their

personal needs. The research team replaced Kahlor L.

(2010)'s “Health Information" in the scale of Health

Information Seeking Behavior with "Studying abroad

language courses and their promotional information"

to measure the frequency of students' proactive search

for information behavior. The study used the Likert

scale (1=rarely, 5=always) to synthesize the

questionnaire, with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.79

(Table 1).

In the TPB, "ATT" is a critical factor that

influences an individual's BI, referring to the

individual's positive or negative behavior’s

assessment. This study used the scale developed by

Yeon Ho et al. (2020) to measure Attitude.

Participants were asked to answer two questions: "Do

you think it is valuable to purchase studying abroad

language training courses on new media platforms?"

and "Do you find these studying abroad language

training courses on new media platforms attractive?"

The Likert scale (1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly

agree) was used. The higher the score, the more

positive the participant's attitude were in buying the

course, with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.76 (Table 1)

SN refers to the social pressure an individual feels

about whether or not to engage in a certain behavior,

which may impact on their behavioral decisions. This

study used the scale developed by Yeon Ho et al.

(2020) to analyze Subjective norms. The study used

The Likert scale (1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly

agree). The higher the score, the greater the

individual's willingness to purchase the course is

influenced by SN, with a Cronbach's alpha value of

0.79(Table 1).

PBC refers to an individual's perception of how

easy it is to perform a particular behavior. The Likert

scale (1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly agree) was

utilized for measurement. A higher score indicates

that the individual's intention to purchase the course

is more influenced by their perceived behavioral

control. The synthesized questionnaire demonstrated

a Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.79 (Table 1).

3.2.3 Dependent Variables

In this study, ATT also functions as the dependent

variable in the initial stage.

Behavioral Intention reflects an individual's

readiness to engage in a specific behavior. In this

case, the intention to purchase language training

courses for studying abroad. The Cronbach’s alpha

value for the synthesized questionnaire was found to

be 0.71 (Table 1).

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3.3 Analysis

This study conducted a linear regression analysis

using SPSS on two sets of data. The first analysis,

with Attitude as the dependent variable and

Information Seeking as the independent variable, was

conducted as the first layer of research. The second

analysis, with BI as the dependent variable and ATT,

SN and PBC as the independent variables, was

conducted as the second layer of research. The

reliability of the independent and dependent variables

was analyzed separately, and it was found that the

Cronbach's alpha values for both sets of variables

were greater than 0.7, indicating that the scale

composite reliability was acceptable. The two sets of

variables were then processed separately for linear

regression analysis, and the results of the study were

obtained.

4 RESULTS

Using the SPSS model for linear regression analysis,

the first study found a positive correlation between

students' search for information on language training

courses through new media platforms and their

attitude towards purchasing these courses, confirming

H1(β= 0.19, p < 0.05)(Table 2). Age was positively

correlated with students’ willingness to purchase

language training courses (β=0.22, p<0.05), while

educational background demonstrated a negative

correlation with this willingness (β=-0.17, p<0.05).

Gender, education level, and location did not show

significant relationships with students' willingness to

purchase language training courses.

Table 1: Composite reliability and validity of variables.

Variables Survey items M SD Cronbach’s alpha

X1 a Information

seeking behavior

(Kahlor L. ,2010)

The frequency at which you proactively browse and search

for language courses and promotional information for

study abroad online

3.70 1.02 0.79

The frequency at which you actively search for language

courses and promotional information for study abroad

online

The frequency at which you consistently follow up on

language courses and promotional information for study

abroad online

X1b Attitude

(Yeon Ho Shin et

al.,2020

)

Unpleasant: Pleasant

3.75 1.04 0.76

Unattractive: Attractive

X2b

Subjective norms

(Yeon Ho Shin et

al.,2020

)

It is important to me that the people I care about think I

should take a language training course for study abroad.

3.71 1.01 0.79

The people I care about would want me to take a language

trainin

course for stud

abroad.

The people I care about would hope that I take a language

training course for study abroad.

X3b Perceived

behavioral control

(Yeon Ho Shin et

al.,2020

)

I have the ability to find language training courses on new

media platforms.

3.71 1.02 0.79

I have the financial ability to purchase a language training

course for stud

abroa

I have the time to purchase and study a language training

course for study abroad.

Y1b Behavioral

Intention

(Yeon Ho Shin et

al.,2020)

After searching for language courses and promotional

information for study abroad, I plan to purchase the

course.

3.73 1.04 0.71

After searching for language courses and promotional

information for study abroad, I will invest effort to

urchase it.

A study on the Inﬂuence of Language Training Courses on New Media Platforms on Students’ Purchase Intention: From the Perspective of

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Table 2: Relation between IS and ATT.

Standardized Coefficients Beta Si

Block1:Demo

hic variables

Gender

(

1=male,2=female

)

0.036 0.235

Age 0.216 0.000

Degree 0.043 0.341

Education Background -0.168 0.000

Location 0.016 0.599

Block2

IS 0.189 0.000

Table 3: Linear regression analysis to predict the purchase intention of language training courses.

Standardized Coefficients Beta Si

Block1:Demo

hic variables

Gender(1=male,2=female) 0.059 0.845

Age 0.084 0.001

Degree 0.072 0.084

Education Back

round 0.029 0.001

Location 0.017 0.983

Block2 Theor

of Planned Behavio

ATT 0.158 0.000

SN 0.131 0.000

PBC 0.159 0.000

Additionally, students' attitudes towards

purchasing language training courses were positively

correlated with their intention to make a purchase,

supporting H2 (β=0.16, p<0.05). Subjective norm

also exhibited a positive correlation with students’

willingness to purchase language courses, supporting

H3 (β=0.13, p<0.05). Finally perceived behavioral

control was positively correlated with student’s

willingness to buy language training course,

confirming that H4 is valid (β=0.16, p<0.05). Age

was positively correlated with student's willingness to

buy language training course (β=0.08, p<0.05) and

educational background was positively related as well

(β=0.03, p<0.05)(Table 3). Gender, education level

and location had no significant relationship with

student’ s willingness to buy language training course

5 DISCUSSION

The purpose of this study is to explore the influence

of language training courses on new media platforms

on students' purchase intention according to TPB.

First of all, this study shows that students' search

for language training course information on new

media platforms is positively correlated with their

attitude towards course purchase, and those who

frequently search course information are more likely

to purchase language courses. This is consistent with

existing research that shows a positive correlation

between consumer search behavior and purchase

behavior (Wang, 2020).

In addition, ATT is also an important regulating

factor of students' willingness to buy courses. In terms

of ATT, the present research found that students'

attitude towards purchasing overseas language

training courses had a significant positive correlation

with their purchasing behavior intention. Some

previous studies have shown similar findings,

suggesting that Consumers from Gen Z who hold a

positive attitude toward fast fashion are more likely

to purchase these products (Wojdyla & Chi, 2024).

More studies related to attitude and consumer

behavior also reveal an important phenomenon, that

is, consumers' attitude not only to the product itself,

but also to media advertising, can affect their

consumer behavior to a certain extent (Zheng, 2012).

Although this study mainly focuses on the variable

measurement of product attitude and recognizes the

potential difference between this variable and

consumers' attitude toward media advertising, it

should not be ignored that media advertising, as an

important channel of product information

transmission, often indirectly affects consumer

behavior by shaping or strengthening consumers'

cognition and attitude toward products.

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SN refers to the social pressure that individuals

perceive when they perform a certain behavior or not.

This variable mainly reflects the influence of

important people or organizations around the

surveyed group on their decisions. According to the

survey results, subjective norms are positively

correlated with students' willingness to buy language

courses. In other words, individuals are more likely to

buy study abroad courses if their significant others

want to buy them. The results are also consistent with

studies showing, for example, that when adolescents

perceive that people or organizations with whom they

interact closely, such as family and friends, are more

supportive of their participation in soccer activities,

they are more likely to participate in soccer activities

(Li, 2019).

The results of the study on perceived behavioral

control show that there is a positive correlation

between an individual's subjective assessment of the

ability to successfully carry out the purchase of a

language course abroad and whether or not to

purchase the course. This discovery indicates that a

person's belief in their capability to successfully

finalize a purchase plays an important role in actually

acting on it. This is consistent with most previous

studies, for example, that perceived behavioral

control is an important driver of vitamin D

supplement consumption because individuals are

more likely to consume a supplement if they find it

easy to take it (Chen, 2022). For another example,

perceived behavioral control directly affects the

purchase behavior of hairy crabs, indicating that

consumers' confidence in their successful purchase

behavior and more objective conditions can

determine whether consumers buy hairy crabs to a

certain extent (Wang, 2019).

However, the limitations of the current study

should be noted. One of the first is the potential

problem of sample selection bias, where current

studies may focus only on a specific type of student

population (such as students at a certain college, a

certain age group, or students with a specific

academic background) or a specific language course

(such as a beginner's course in English as a second

language), thus limiting the general applicability of

the conclusions. In order to make up for this

deficiency, future studies should focus on expanding

the diversity and breadth of samples. Specifically,

students from different places of origin (such as urban

and rural differences, regional cultural differences)

can be included to examine the impact of regional

background on learning outcomes; At the same time,

students with different family backgrounds (such as

socioeconomic status, parental education level,

family language environment, etc.) should also be

included to analyze how family environment plays a

role in the learning process. Not only can such a

design enhance the comprehensiveness and depth of

research results, but it can also offer a more precise

reference foundation for developing educational

policies to guarantee the rational distribution of

educational resources and the effective

implementation of teaching methods.

Second, this study only focuses on the relationship

between IS, ATT, SN, PBC and BI, without

considering the influence of other factors. Future

research could explore other potential factors, such as

individual motivation, external environmental

factors, to better understand the formation process of

willingness to consume. In addition, this study used a

self-reported approach to assess perceived behavioral

control and purchase intention, which may be subject

to subjectivity and memory bias. Future studies could

be combined with objective data or experimental

design to obtain more accurate results.

Based on the research results, there are some

suggestions for different subjects (consumers,

merchants). For consumers, they can better

understand their purchase intentions and rationally

evaluate their behavior control ability to avoid being

affected by overconfidence. For the merchants of

overseas study language courses, they can provide a

more attractive purchasing environment, convenient

purchasing methods and publicize the importance of

overseas study language learning to increase

consumers' purchase willingness.

In conclusion, the study needs to further explore

and improve the research methods to obtain more

comprehensive and accurate conclusions, and make

corresponding recommendations to guide practical

applications.

6 CONCLUSION

This study explored the influencing factors of

language training courses on new media platforms on

students' course purchase intention, and provides

empirical evidence for TPB through the research

method of questionnaire survey. The results of the

study on attitudes towards purchasing online

language courses and information seeking highlight

that TPB is a promising theoretical framework for

studying individual consumption behavior.

Emphasizing the significance of psychological

drive as a central factor influencing behavioral

intention, this study suggests that the goal of studying

abroad plays an important role in influencing

A study on the Inﬂuence of Language Training Courses on New Media Platforms on Students’ Purchase Intention: From the Perspective of

Planned Behavior Theory

581

consumers' decision to purchase language courses.

Furthermore, the study underscores the intricate

nature of consumer decision-making processes and

demonstrates the independent influence of

information access and personal attitudes on

intentions that influence consumer behavior. By

examining theoretical models, this research lays the

groundwork for future investigations into the

underlying mechanisms that influence consumer

behavior in the overseas language course market,

ultimately enhancing the theoretical comprehension

of consumer decision-making.

The research has practical significance. Overall,

the results of the study are very important for the

study abroad language course industry. The research

results can stimulate the information delivery of new

media platforms in this field. At the same time, the

relevant organizations can also make people have a

positive attitude towards the study abroad language

courses in the first place, and have a positive impact

on the course sales of the study abroad language

training institutions.

Based on samples of different backgrounds,

opinions and perceptions, future studies can test the

universality of the conclusions of this study.

AUTHORS CONTRIBUTION

All the authors contributed equally and their names

were listed in alphabetical order.

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