Tanzania is facing with problem of post-secondary access to education. Tanzania is facing the problem of limited access to education because training is mainly offered by physically attending classes at main established colleges.

Several studies indicate that e-learning can improve accessibility to education. This is particularly because students do not necessarily have to go for full-time study at learning institution, but rather can also attend training through e-learning in different forms by using simulation and the electronic form of communication. This can be realised by using the diffusion theory of innovation which stipulates factors that affect the rate of adoption of an innovation within the society.

The adoption of e-learning is considered to contribute to increased access to education, by enhancing the sharing of learning resources among students from different places and in different forms. Through the adoption of e-learning, training institutions are able to reach more people who had been denied education by having access to training from wherever they are.

This research claims that adoption of e-learning also contributes to increase access to education. Therefore, study investigate factors that affect adoption of e-learning in technical institutions in Tanzania.

A mixed method approach, using quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques (Questionnaires survey and in-depth interviews) has been adopted in this research, and has been undertaken in two phases. Phase one explores all registered public technical institutions. Seeking to examine the level of e-learning adoption. The results from this study are used to identify a sample of technical institutions that will be purposively selected as case studies for an in-depth study in the next phase. Study two will investigates factors that affect the adoption of e-learning independent variables (Management Support, Teachers perception, ICT Technical support, ICT infrastructure and Students Perceptions) and how these affect a dependent variable (Adoption of e-learning). The total sample size is 656 participants.

Findings has indicated that, management support, ICT Infrastructure and ICT technical support are the critical factors that affecting the adoption of e-learning in technical institutions in Tanzania. Other factor which are nice to have during the adoption of elearning
are teacher’s perception and students’ expectation.

Thus, critical successful factors that affecting the adoption of e-learning in Tanzania are management support, ICT Infrastructure and ICT technical support but also factors which are nice to have during the adoption of e-learning are teachers’ perception and students’
expectation.