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High School Science Profile Predicts Adults' Views on the Future of AI and STS

Authors
Gyeonggeon "Boaz" Lee
Date
Publisher
arXiv
Link
http://arxiv.org/pdf/2508.12083v1
This study investigates the long term influence of high school science education on adults' engagement with artificial intelligence (AI) and their views on science-technology-society (STS) issues. Drawing on longitudinal data from the Korea Employment Education Panel (KEEP) II (n = 2,348), which tracked general high school students from 2016 to 2023, we applied structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine how science interest and achievement in adolescence predict AI use and perceptions in adulthood. Results indicate that high school science achievement, but not science interest, directly predicted AI use at age 24. AI use significantly influenced both positive and negative perceptions of AI, which in turn shaped sophisticated perspectives on STS domains - human-AI relationship, quality of life, and science and technology monopolization. Indirect effects suggest that high school science interest can influence adult perceptions of AI and STS views, mediated by science achievement and AI use. These findings provide rare empirical evidence linking secondary science education to adult engagement with AI.
Study at a glance
  • Question: How does high school science education shape adults' AI use and views on science and technology?
  • Setting and data: Korea, 2,348 general high school students tracked into adulthood from 2016 to 2023.
  • Method: Longitudinal tracking study using statistical modeling (structural equation modeling).
Why it matters

There is rare empirical evidence linking secondary science education to adult engagement with artificial intelligence (AI) and views on science-technology-society issues.

Key findings
  • Tracking 2,348 Korean students into adulthood, high school science achievement directly predicted AI use at age 24, but science interest did not.
  • Adult AI use influenced both positive and negative perceptions of AI, which shaped perspectives on human-AI relationships, quality of life, and technology monopolization.
  • High school science interest may indirectly influence adult perceptions of AI and societal issues through earlier science achievement and subsequent AI use.

Summary drafted with AI from the paper’s abstract and may contain errors. See the full paper for details.

Who is the user?
Others
Who age?
Adult
Study design
Quantitative – Others
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