AI in higher education
TL;DR
AI acts primarily as an amplifying tool rather than an independent driver of academicbehavior, reflecting pre-existing attitudes toward learning and ethics, suggesting pre-existing attitudes toward learning and ethics are reflected.
Abstract
The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has led to its widespread adoption in highereducation. A growing body of research has examined its educational implications, includingeffects on learning and academic integrity. Building on this literature, this paper investigateshow students’ orientations toward learning, effort, and ethics relate to their use of AI inacademic contexts. The study was conducted on a sample of 115 undergraduate and graduatebusiness students using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Chi-squaretests and Cramer’s V coefficients. The results reveal significant relationships betweenstudents’ orientations and AI use. Students who prioritize efficiency, minimal effort, and finaloutcomes are more likely to use AI frequently, trust its outputs without verification, and rely onit for assignments. Likewise, students with more tolerant attitudes toward unethical academicbehavior are more likely to use AI as a shortcut in academic tasks. In contrast, students whovalue the learning process, theoretical knowledge, and academic integrity are more likely tocritically evaluate AI-generated content and consult additional sources. The findings suggestthat AI acts primarily as an amplifying tool rather than an independent driver of academicbehavior, reflecting pre-existing attitudes toward learning and ethics.
