Artificial Intelligence Technologies Integration and Global Competitiveness in Higher Education: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Sustainable learning outcomes are vital for developing strong critical thinking skills, which lead to positive life results and career success, ultimately enhancing global competitiveness. Achieving these outcomes relies on instructional methods that offer meaningful experiences to learners. This study explores the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies as learning strategies to boost the global competitiveness of higher education institutions and students in Sub-Saharan Africa. The research aimed to evaluate how AI impacts sustainable learning outcomes and to identify challenges that hinder their implementation in higher education, based on evidence from the region. A mixed-method research design was adopted, with stratified and simple random sampling techniques used to determine the sample size. The population of respondents was 3840  with the sample size of 384 that included students and an academic staff. Data collection involved questionnaires named Artificial Intelligence Technologies Integration Questionnaires (AITIQ) and Global Competitiveness in Higher Education (GCIEQ) with Artificial Intelligence Technologies Integration interview guides (AITII) and Global Competitiveness in Higher Education Interview guides (GCHEI). Quantitative  responses analyzed using SPSS Version 27 because it is easy accessible for researcher. That generated descriptive statistics and reliability calculated while qualitative   data from interview guides were subjected to thematic  and narrative analysis. The results show that 355(92.45%) with mean of 4.35 of students agreed that, integrating AI technologies can greatly improve sustainable learning outcomes by increasing administrative efficiency, enabling personalized learning, automating assessments and feedback, and enhancing global competitiveness. However, super majority of students above 75% agreed that,at study area there are  challenges such as limited technical expertise and infrastructure, low digital literacy among staff, and concerns that AI can decrease critical thinking among students. The study concludes that the successful integration of AI in higher education, need to be guided by strategic policies, can transform learning practices and improve academic results.It recommends investing in AI infrastructure, offering regular staff training, and continuously evaluating AI tools to ensure fairness and effectiveness.