The Moderating Effect of Attitude Towards Excellence on the Perceived Effectiveness of the Library Management System and Student Engagement

This study examined the moderating effect of students' attitude toward academic excellence on the relationship between the perceived effectiveness of the Library Management System (LMS) and student engagement with library services in selected private higher education institutions in Midsayap, North Cotabato. Anchored on the Technology Acceptance Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior, the study employed a quantitative descriptive-predictive research design involving 300 third- and fourth-year college students selected through purposive and quota sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire that underwent content validation and reliability testing prior to administration. Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, and regression-based moderation analysis using the PROCESS macro were employed to analyze the data. Results revealed that students reported high levels of perceived LMS effectiveness (M = 3.95), student engagement with library services (M = 3.64), and attitude toward academic excellence (M = 4.04). Correlation analysis indicated a statistically significant moderate positive relationship between perceived LMS effectiveness and student engagement (r = .629, p < .001). Moderation analysis further revealed that the overall model significantly explained student engagement (R² = .479, F(3,296) = 90.80, p < .001). Although the direct effects of perceived LMS effectiveness and academic attitude became nonsignificant when estimated simultaneously, their interaction significantly predicted engagement (b = 0.134, p = .023), indicating that attitude toward academic excellence strengthens the positive influence of perceived LMS effectiveness on engagement with library services. Conditional effects analysis further confirmed that the influence of LMS effectiveness progressively increased across low, average, and high levels of academic attitude. The findings underscore the importance of integrating technological improvements with interventions that cultivate students' academic motivation and commitment to excellence, thereby promoting sustained engagement with library services and enhancing higher education learning environments.