Date
Publisher
arXiv
As generative artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in educational practice, a central concern is whether students use AI as cognitive support or as a substitute for thinking. Prior research shows that learners recognise this boundary conceptually and acknowledge that "AI should not replace thinking." However, whether such awareness translates into structured regulation during actual AI use remains unclear.
Drawing on data from Hong Kong secondary students, this study examines how learners perceive their management of the boundary between assistance and outsourcing in practice. Findings show that awareness did not consistently translate into regulation; ethical belief did not necessarily lead to strategic execution; and conceptual endorsement did not guarantee operational behaviour.
These findings suggest that the challenge is not teaching students that AI should not replace thinking, as they already know this, but providing them with structured mechanisms to regulate how AI is used within learning processes. In response, the study introduces the TACO framework (Think-Ask-Check-Own), a process-oriented model designed to operationalise the boundary between cognitive support and cognitive substitution. By shifting attention from ethical awareness to cognitive regulation, the study contributes a learner-grounded approach to sustaining AI as a dynamic cognitive partner in education.
Study at a glance
- Question: How do secondary students regulate the boundary between AI assistance and cognitive outsourcing during actual learning practices?
- Setting and data: 133 secondary students enrolled in an AI literacy programme in Hong Kong.
- Method: Qualitative interpretive design using inductive open coding and constant comparative analysis of student written reflections.
Why it matters
Students conceptually recognize that AI should not replace thinking, but evidence is limited on whether this awareness translates into structured self-regulation during actual learning tasks.
Key findings
- Hong Kong secondary students demonstrated strong conceptual awareness of AI risks and endorsed human agency, but rarely articulated structured cognitive regulation strategies in practice.
- Students frequently framed AI in emotionally positive terms, valuing its speed, stress reduction, and efficiency as an academic optimization tool and companion.
- In their actual behavior, students often outsourced cognitive tasks like brainstorming, synthesizing, and solution generation without pre-engagement thinking or systematic verification procedures.
Summary drafted with AI from the full paper and may contain errors. See the full paper for details.
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Study design
