PROCEDURE:
As for the research procedure, we followed a systematic and ethical process. First, we
secured formal approval from our Program Head before initiating any data collection.
Once we obtained the necessary authorization, we disseminated informed consent
forms to our target participants. These forms included a clear explanation of the
study's objectives, its benefits, and the assurance that all responses would remain
confidential."
After gaining consent, we provided the participants with a printed questionnaire and
allowed them a maximum of 30 minutes to complete it. While they answered, we
remained available to clarify any concerns but refrained from influencing their
responses. Once all questionnaires were returned, we reviewed them to check for
completeness and ensured that no important sections were left blank."
All the gathered data were then securely stored in a protected location accessible
only to the researchers, maintaining the privacy and integrity of the participants’
responses. The data were later subjected to statistical analysis to identify correlations
between AI usage and independent learning abilities."
Overall, our procedure upheld ethical standards, ensure data accuracy, and aligned
with our research goals, contributing to the validity and reliability of our findings."
ETHICS:
Informed Consent
"Before proceeding with data collection, we first secured approval from the Program
Head of the Psychology Department. After that, we sought informed consent from
each participant. The consent form included clear information about the purpose of
the study, the nature of their involvement, and assured them that participation was
completely voluntary. We emphasized that they had the right to refuse or withdraw
from the study at any point without any penalties."
Privacy and Confidentiality of Information
"To ensure the privacy and protection of our respondents, we strictly guaranteed
anonymity. No personal or identifiable information was collected in the
questionnaires. The gathered data were stored securely and handled only by the
researchers. This ensured that all responses remained confidential, and the dignity
and privacy of each participant were fully respected."
Transparency
"We also practiced full transparency throughout the research process. Participants
were properly informed about all aspects of the study that could impact their rights,
well-being, or safety. This included the purpose of the research, how their responses
would be used, and how the data would be stored. We maintained open
communication, allowing them to ask questions and understand their role in the study
before giving consent."
STATS:
Mean
"The mean was used in our study to calculate the average of the entire data set.
Specifically, it helped determine the central tendency of two key factors: the levels of
artificial intelligence usage and the students' independent learning. By computing the
mean, we were able to summarize the general trends and patterns in the data, offering
a clear perspective on the overall usage of AI tools and the associated levels of
independent learning among the participants."
Standard Deviation
"Standard deviation was utilized in our study to provide insights into the variability or
spread of the data around the computed mean. In this context, it was particularly
useful for understanding the distribution of scores regarding the levels of AI usage
and independent learning. The standard deviation gave us a sense of how consistent
or varied the responses were among participants, highlighting how much individual
data points deviated from the average."
Pearson Correlation Coefficient (Pearson-r)
"The Pearson correlation coefficient, or Pearson-r, was applied to evaluate the
strength and direction of the relationship between the independent variable (AI tools
usage) and the dependent variable (students' independent learning). This statistical
tool helped us determine whether there was a significant positive or negative
correlation between these variables. It also allowed us to test the research
hypothesis, revealing if the two factors were directly or inversely related to one
another, thus helping us to draw conclusions about their association."
LOCALE:
Research Locale
"This study was conducted at one of the largest and most recognized universities
located in Davao City, Philippines. The university is known for its commitment to
academic excellence and innovation, providing a dynamic academic environment
ideal for research. Additionally, the institution’s diverse student population adds value
to the study by ensuring that the sample is representative, enhancing the
generalizability of the research findings. This makes it a fitting location for conducting
our study on the impact of AI tools on independent learning."
Research Participants
"The study involved 150 second-year BS Psychology students who were currently
enrolled at the university during the time of data collection. To ensure a representative
sample, we employed a quota sampling technique to select participants who met
specific criteria. The inclusion criteria required participants to be bona fide
second-year BS Psychology students enrolled for the current semester, while the
exclusion criteria eliminated students who were not in their second year or enrolled in
programs outside of the Psychology program."
Materials & Instrument
"For this study, the researchers utilized modified versions of two questionnaires
downloaded from previous studies by Malik (2023) and Rochma (2024). These original
questionnaires were chosen because they closely aligned with the objectives of our
research, focusing on AI usage and its impact on independent learning. The modified
questionnaires were validated by our research advisor, ensuring their relevance and
suitability for our study."
"The research design was carefully considered to ensure alignment with the research
objectives, and the questionnaires underwent validation by our research advisor, who
confirmed their appropriateness for the study. This process ensured the instruments'
accuracy in measuring the intended variables."
"The questionnaires used a 4-point Likert scale to assess participants' responses.
The independent variable (IV) in the study, which is the participants’ usage of artificial
intelligence (AI) in answering essay questions, was measured through 40 questions
focusing on the extent to which AI tools were used in writing construction tasks. The
dependent variable (DV), which refers to the students’ learning conditions and
perceptions, was assessed using 10 questions that measured their attitudes towards
independent learning and study behaviors."
Results
"The table below illustrates the descriptive statistics of the study's key indicators,
which assess the participants’ usage of artificial intelligence in academic essay
writing. The data are summarized by mean values and standard deviations (SD), with
the respective interpretations based on the scoring scale. This allows us to
understand not only the average level of AI usage among the participants but also the
consistency of their responses."
Indicators Mea SD Interpretatio
n n
Knowledge of AI in Academic Essay Writing 3.41 0.42 Very High
4
The Frequency and Extent to which Students use 3.07 0.50 High
Artificial Intelligence 8
The Impact of AI in Writing Academic Essays 3.21 0.49 High
3
Students' Perspectives on how AI should Collaborate 3.20 0.40 High
with Human Writers in the Future 6
Overall Mean 3.22 0.45 High
8
"As shown in the table, the mean scores for all four indicators fall within the 'High'
category, reflecting a generally positive engagement with artificial intelligence tools in
academic essay writing. Notably, the indicator measuring Knowledge of AI in
Academic Essay Writing has the highest mean score of 3.41, which signifies that
participants possess a very high level of understanding about the role of AI in the
context of academic writing. This suggests that students are not only aware of the
existence of AI tools but also have a robust grasp of their potential applications in
their academic tasks."
"The next indicator, The Frequency and Extent to which Students use Artificial
Intelligence, scored a mean of 3.07, which places it in the 'High' category. This
indicates that students frequently use AI tools in their academic writing, although not
as regularly as they may utilize other writing resources. The variability in responses,
as indicated by the standard deviation of 0.508, suggests some differences in how
often AI tools are used among the students."
"The third indicator, The Impact of AI in Writing Academic Essays, recorded a mean of
3.21, which is also classified as 'High.' This suggests that students perceive AI tools
as having a significant influence on their essay writing processes, potentially
improving the quality or efficiency of their written outputs. The relatively low standard
deviation of 0.493 further suggests that students’ opinions on the impact of AI in
academic writing are fairly consistent, implying a collective recognition of its value."
"The final indicator, Students' Perspectives on how AI should Collaborate with Human
Writers in the Future, has a mean of 3.20. This score falls within the 'High' range,
indicating that students hold strong views on how AI should complement human
effort in academic writing. The standard deviation of 0.406 is the lowest among the
indicators, suggesting a consensus in student opinions on AI's future role in the
writing process."
"The Overall Mean score of 3.22 provides a comprehensive snapshot of the general
trend in the data. With this mean, we conclude that the students, on average, exhibit a
high level of engagement with AI tools and recognize their potential contributions to
academic writing. However, it is important to note that while AI usage is prevalent, it is
still subject to certain limitations and variances across different individuals."
"In summary, the results demonstrate a strong and positive correlation between
students' knowledge of AI tools, their perceptions of its impact, and their use of these
tools in writing essays. The relatively high mean scores across the indicators suggest
that AI tools are valued by the students, though their frequency of use and impact
may vary depending on individual preferences and academic contexts.
Results (Continued)
"The following table presents the descriptive statistics for the indicators related to
students' independent learning. These indicators were designed to assess various
aspects of independent learning, such as motivation, learning management, and
reflection. The data is summarized by the mean values and standard deviations (SD)
of each indicator, followed by the corresponding interpretation based on the study’s
scoring scale."
Indicators Mean SD Interpretation
Motivation 3.59 0.459 Very High
Managing Your 3.22 0.564 High
Learning
Reflection 3.38 0.549 Very High
Overall Mean 3.40 0.524 Very High
"As seen in the table, the mean scores for three of the four indicators fall into the
'Very High' category, reflecting a strong level of independent learning among
students. The highest mean score, Motivation, recorded a value of 3.59, which falls
under the 'Very High' category. This suggests that students are highly motivated in
their academic endeavors, showing a strong internal drive to succeed in their studies.
The standard deviation of 0.459 indicates that the responses are fairly consistent, with
little variation in students' reported levels of motivation."
"The second indicator, Managing Your Learning, shows a mean of 3.22, which places
it in the 'High' category. While this score still reflects a strong ability to manage
learning independently, it is slightly lower than the motivation and reflection
indicators. The higher standard deviation of 0.564 suggests more variability in how
students perceive and apply self-management strategies, indicating that some
students may feel more confident in managing their learning than others."
"The third indicator, Reflection, had a mean of 3.38, which is in the 'Very High' range,
similar to Motivation. This implies that students engage in a strong level of reflection
regarding their learning experiences, a key component of independent learning. The
standard deviation of 0.549 suggests that while most students reflect deeply on their
learning processes, there is some variation in how frequently or intensely this
reflection occurs among individuals."
"The Overall Mean score of 3.40 is derived from the combination of the three
indicators. This overall mean, which falls into the 'Very High' category, suggests that,
on average, students display strong independent learning behaviors in motivation,
reflection, and learning management. This supports the idea that students in the
study are generally highly engaged in their own learning, demonstrating traits that
align with effective independent learning practices."
Results (Continued)
"Table 6 presents the results of the test for the significant relationship between
Artificial Intelligence (AI) usage and students’ independent learning. The table shows
the Pearson correlation coefficients (r) between the indicators of AI usage and the
indicators of independent learning, which include motivation, managing learning, and
reflection. An asterisk (*) next to a correlation value indicates that the relationship is
statistically significant at the p < 0.05 level."
Student's The The The Impact Students' Overal
Independent Knowledge Frequency of AI in Perspectives on l
Learning of AI in and Extent to Writing how AI should
Academic which Academic Collaborate
Essay Students Use Essays with Human
Writing Artificial Writers in the
Intelligence Future
Motivation 0.296* 0.222* 0.294* 0.153 0.319*
Managing 0.321* 0.290* 0.334* 0.080 0.345*
Your
Learning
Reflection 0.265* 0.205* 0.306* 0.154 0.306*
Overall 0.342* 0.283* 0.368* 0.149 0.381*
Interpretation of Results:
● Motivation: There are statistically significant positive correlations between
motivation and several AI usage indicators. The highest correlation (0.319*) is
with the "Overall" AI usage, suggesting that as students increase their overall
usage of AI tools, their motivation to engage in academic tasks also increases.
Similarly, the "Knowledge of AI in Academic Essay Writing" and "Impact of AI
in Writing Academic Essays" are also significantly correlated with motivation,
indicating that students who are more knowledgeable about AI and its impact
on writing tend to exhibit higher motivation.
● Managing Your Learning: This indicator shows significant positive correlations
with most aspects of AI usage, particularly the "Knowledge of AI in Academic
Essay Writing" (0.321*) and "Impact of AI in Writing Academic Essays" (0.334*).
This indicates that students who use AI tools more extensively tend to
demonstrate better management of their learning. The "Students' Perspectives
on how AI should Collaborate with Human Writers in the Future" shows the
weakest correlation (0.080), suggesting that students' perspectives on
collaboration may not have as strong an effect on their learning management.
● Reflection: The correlations for reflection with AI usage indicators are all
statistically significant, particularly with the "Impact of AI in Writing Academic
Essays" (0.306*) and "Overall" usage (0.306*). This suggests that students who
use AI tools more often tend to engage more deeply in reflection on their
academic work. The correlation with the "Frequency and Extent to which
Students Use Artificial Intelligence" (0.205*) is lower but still statistically
significant, indicating a moderate connection between reflection and the extent
of AI usage.
● Overall: The "Overall" AI usage variable shows strong positive correlations
with all aspects of students' independent learning. The highest correlation
(0.381*) occurs between overall AI usage and the students' overall independent
learning, highlighting that students who use AI tools more frequently tend to
exhibit stronger independent learning traits across motivation, learning
management, and reflection.
Summary of Findings:
● There are consistent positive correlations between AI usage and all indicators
of independent learning, particularly motivation, learning management, and
reflection. These relationships suggest that while AI tools may enhance
students' academic engagement and self-directed learning, the strength of
these relationships varies across different aspects of independent learning.
● The correlations with "Managing Your Learning" and "Reflection" tend to be
stronger, indicating that students who use AI more often may experience
greater improvements in their ability to manage learning tasks and reflect on
their learning processes.
● It is important to note that although all correlations are statistically significant
at the p < 0.05 level, the strength of these correlations varies. This indicates
that while AI usage has a meaningful impact on students’ independent
learning, other factors may also contribute to their learning behaviors and
outcomes.
"In conclusion, the results suggest that there is a significant relationship between the
usage of AI tools and students' independent learning, with the strongest effects
observed in motivation, learning management, and reflection. These findings
underline the potential of AI to complement and support independent learning, though
further investigation is needed to explore the extent to which these effects are driven
by external factors."
Conclusion and Recommendations
Conclusion:
Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that Artificial Intelligence (AI)
usage among students has an overall high level of manifestation, meaning that AI
tools are frequently used in academic contexts, particularly in essay writing. On the
other hand, students' independent learning shows an overall very high level of
manifestation, indicating that students consistently demonstrate traits of independent
learning, such as motivation, self-regulation, and reflection in their academic work.
The relationship between AI usage and independent learning is statistically
significant, albeit weakly positive. This suggests that while AI tools have some impact
on students' independent learning abilities, this influence is modest and may be
influenced by other factors beyond the usage of AI tools alone. Therefore, we reject
the null hypothesis and conclude that there is a significant, though weak, positive
correlation between AI usage and students’ independent learning.
Recommendations:
1. Ethical AI Usage:
To maximize the benefits of AI in academic settings, it is essential to focus on
educating students on the ethical use of AI tools. Students should be made
aware of AI’s capabilities, limitations, and potential ethical issues, ensuring
that they utilize these tools responsibly while still engaging in the learning
process.
2. Development of Self-Directed Learning Strategies:
Educational professionals should focus on designing learning strategies that
encourage self-directed learning. These strategies should promote autonomy
and reflective practices that help students take responsibility for their learning
outcomes. Additionally, learning models should be flexible, allowing students
to direct their own educational paths with the support of AI tools.
3. Reflective Practice and Critical Thinking:
It is recommended that students engage in reflective practices regularly.
Students should critique AI-generated content and their own work, fostering a
deeper understanding of the material. By combining AI's capabilities with their
own independent learning processes, students can develop stronger critical
thinking skills and a more nuanced understanding of academic tasks.
4. Future Research:
Future studies could explore the long-term effects of AI usage on students'
independent learning and other variables, such as critical thinking and
problem-solving. Additionally, investigating the influence of different types of
AI tools (e.g., writing assistants, chatbots, etc.) could offer insights into their
varied impact on students' learning behaviors.