Subject-Based Influence of Artificial Intelligence Chatbots on Undergraduates’ Research Project Writing and Knowledge Acquisition in Benue State University, Markudi
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64348/zije.2026546Abstract
Subject-based influence of artificial intelligence chatbots on undergraduates’ research project writing and knowledge acquisition was studied using a descriptive comparative survey research design of the cross-sectional type. Two research questions and two hypotheses were used to guide the study. The population of the study comprised all the 259 final-year undergraduates in the Department of Science and Mathematics Education, Benue State University (now Rev Fr Mosses Orshio Adasu University), Makurdi, Nigeria. From the population, a random sample of 102 final-year undergraduates was drawn and used for the study. Artificial Intelligence Chatbot and Research Questionnaire (AICRQ) and Research Knowledge Acquisition Test (RKAT) were validated by experts and trial tested on 25 students (not part of the main sample studied) and a reliability coefficient of 0.78 and 0.81 were obtained using Cronbach’s Alpha. The research questions were answered by mean and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were tested using One-way ANOVA at 0.05 level of significance. The study found that a significant difference in the extent to which science education undergraduates from different course programmes utilize AI chatbots for research project writing with further Tukey Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) statistic. The study also found that a significant mean difference exists in the influence of AI chatbot usage on research knowledge acquisition among science education undergraduates from different course programmes with Tukey HSD statistic. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that lecturers in should integrate guided AI chatbots usage into teaching and research supervision processes to enhance undergraduates’ research project writing skills and knowledge acquisition.
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