Date
Publisher
arXiv
As generative AI (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT become more common in higher
education, understanding student attitudes is essential for evaluating their
educational impact and supporting responsible AI integration. This study
introduces a validated survey instrument designed to assess students'
perceptions of GenAI, including its acceptability for academic tasks, perceived
influence on learning and careers, and broader societal concerns. We
administered the survey to 297 undergraduates at a U.S. university. The
instrument includes six thematic domains: institutional understanding, fairness
and trust, academic and career influence, societal concerns, and GenAI use in
writing and coursework. Exploratory factor analysis revealed four attitudinal
dimensions: societal concern, policy clarity, fairness and trust, and career
impact. Subgroup analyses identified statistically significant differences
across student backgrounds. Male students and those speaking a language other
than English at home rated GenAI use in writing tasks as more acceptable.
First-year students expressed greater societal concern than upper-year peers.
Students from multilingual households perceived greater clarity in
institutional policy, while first-generation students reported a stronger
belief in GenAI's impact on future careers. This work contributes a practical
scale for evaluating the student impact of GenAI tools, informing the design of
educational AI systems.
What is the application?
Who is the user?
Who age?
Why use AI?
Study design
