This study proposes a Web-based Learning Acceptance Model (WBLAM) for gifted learners in Jordan, addressing the failure of existing frameworks to consider their unique cognitive needs. The study extends upon the UTAUT theory by adding Cognitive Readiness (CR) as a crucial psychological mediator between psychologically core constructs Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE), Social Influence (SI), and the students’ Behavioral Intention (BI) towards the web-based learning system. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to assess data gathered from 300 gifted students attending King Abdullah II Schools for Excellence. The data showed that Performance Expectancy and Social Influence predict Cognitive Readiness, which in turn predicts Behavioral Intention. Cognitive readiness was also shown to partially mediate the relationship between PE and BI. Of import, effort expectancy was not shown to have a significant effect. The model was able to explain a sizable portion of the variance in factors, explaining 46.7% of the variance in cognitive readiness and 51.7% in behavioral intention. The findings indicate that for gifted learners, internal psychological preparedness (cognitive readiness) is vital for transforming external elements into a desire to learn with technology. This research provides a substantive theoretical extension of UTAUT for the cognitively advanced population as well as practical, evidence-based recommendations on the design and implementation of equitable digital learning systems for gifted learners in Jordan and beyond.
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