From “Spectating” to “Decision-Making”: Uncovering the Pathways to Awakening Purchase Intentions for Educational Products in Live Streaming: A Grounded Theory Approach

Abstract

In recent years, the rapid growth of live-streaming e-commerce has boosted online consumption, with major edtech firms entering the space and creating a new type of “educational livestreamer.” Using grounded theory, this study interviewed 16 industry professionals. Through coding and analysis, it builds a theoretical model explaining how educational livestreaming influences consumer purchase intentions. The study defines the roles and pathways of key variables, livestreamer traits, consumer state, product value, situational factors, community atmosphere, operational mechanisms, and purchase intent. It offers a cross-disciplinary (communication and management) view of why educational livestreaming drives buying behavior, providing practical guidance for edtech companies, livestreaming teams, and platforms.