Adoption and Continued Use of AI Educational Tools: An Empirical Study among College Students

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) educational tools are increasingly incorporated into higher education, making students’ awareness, attitudes, satisfaction and continued-use intentions important for understanding their educational adoption. This study examined these dimensions among students at Government College Madappally, Kerala. A descriptive research design was adopted, and primary data were collected from 185 students through a structured questionnaire using stratified sampling. Frequencies, percentages and weighted mean scores were used for descriptive analysis. One-way ANOVA assessed differences in awareness across Commerce, Science and Arts streams, while independent-samples t-tests examined gender differences in attitude and satisfaction. Students demonstrated high awareness of AI educational tools, with an overall mean awareness score of 3.94, and awareness of AI mistakes and limitations also remained high at 3.70. Attitudes were positive, with the highest mean score recorded for the statement that AI makes the learning process easier (4.07). Satisfaction was high for accuracy and effectiveness (4.04) and for feedback and guidance (3.90). Seventy-one per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they intended to continue using AI tools for their studies. Awareness differed significantly across academic courses (F = 8.07, p = 0.000438), whereas gender differences in attitude (p = 0.17) and satisfaction (p = 0.14) were not statistically significant. The findings indicate positive student acceptance alongside persistent technical and feedback-related challenges, highlighting the importance of AI literacy, responsible use and institutional support.