STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS CHATGPT AS A LEARNING ASSISTANT

Abstract

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has transformed teaching and learning practices in higher education institutions. Among all, ChatGPT has gained widespread attention as a learning assistant capable of supporting academic writing, idea generation, research assistance as well as personalised learning. Despite its increasing use among university students, concerns regarding academic integrity, reliability of information, ethical usage, and overdependence on AI technologies continue to raise questions about students’ acceptance and attitudes towards ChatGPT in educational settings. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the influence of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use on attitudes as well as the influence of attitudes on behavioral intention to use ChatGPT as a learning assistant among students in higher education institutions. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was employed using a survey method. Data were collected from 250 undergraduate students from public and private higher education institutions in Malaysia through an online questionnaire distributed via Google Forms. The measurement items were adapted from previous validated studies and assessed using a five-point Likert scale. Data analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) through SmartPLS. The findings revealed that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use significantly influenced students’ attitudes towards ChatGPT as a learning assistant. In addition, students’ attitudes significantly influenced behavioural intention to use ChatGPT for academic purposes. The structural model explained 68.7% of the variance in behavioural intention. The findings indicate that students generally hold positive attitudes towards ChatGPT and perceive the technology as useful, accessible, and supportive of learning activities. The study contributes to the growing literature on AI adoption in higher education by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) within the context of AI-powered conversational learning tools.