Cited by 26Technology Adoption and User BehaviourArtificial Intelligence in EducationAI in Service Interactions

Examining students' attitudes and intentions towards using ChatGPT in higher education

Haq, Muhammad Zia Ul, Cao, Guangming, Abukhait, Rawan Mazen Yousef·2025·British Journal of Educational Technology

Abstract

The release of ChatGPT has sparked an immense academic debate regarding its potential advantages and drawbacks for students. Despite its significance, there is a lack of empirical research on students' attitudes and behavioural intentions towards the utilization of ChatGPT. To fill this gap, we employed the integrated AI acceptance‐avoidance model (IAAAM) and used partial least squares structural equation modelling to test the research model by collecting data from 287 university students in the UAE. Our key findings indicate that factors such as performance expectancy and effort expectancy positively influence students' attitudes towards ChatGPT. Additionally, personal development concerns demonstrate a negative association with attitudes and intentions to use ChatGPT, while perceived threat demonstrates a non‐significant negative association with both. The findings of this research contribute to the emerging body of literature on ChatGPT's usage both conceptually and empirically. It also offers practical insights for future technology developers, emphasizing the significance of adopting a balanced approach that carefully considers both the benefits and potential drawbacks linked to the utilization of ChatGPT. Practitioner notes: What is already known about this topic ChatGPT represents a significant advancement in natural language processing and has gained immense popularity since its launch, with rapid acceptance and adoption across various sectors. In higher education, ChatGPT has seen substantial use among university students and teachers. Previous studies have predominantly focused on investigating the attitudes and behavioural intentions of managers in organizational contexts and academic staff towards technology use in universities. What this paper adds This study addresses an empirical gap by focusing on students' behavioural intentions towards employing ChatGPT, offering a student‐centric perspective. It draws upon established technology acceptance literature and employs the integrated AI acceptance‐avoidance model (IAAAM) to explore factors shaping students' attitudes and intentions regarding ChatGPT utilization. By adopting a “net valence approach”, the study considers both positive and negative factors associated with ChatGPT use in higher education. The findings provide valuable insights for educators, students, and policymakers by presenting a balanced and holistic understanding of the multifaceted factors influencing students' attitudes and behavioural intentions. Implications for practice and/or policy Educators can leverage the findings to better understand students' perspectives and design educational strategies that effectively integrate ChatGPT into learning processes. Students can utilize the insights to make informed decisions about incorporating ChatGPT into their academic activities. Policymakers can consider the implications of ChatGPT adoption in higher education and develop guidelines and regulations to ensure its responsible and ethical use.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1111/bjet.13582

Cites

71 of 71 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • The literature increasingly recognises that effective AI use requires more than access; it demands skill, including prompt engineering, interpreting AI-generated results, and recognising limitations or biases.

    “The literature increasingly recognises that effective AI use requires more than access, it demands skill. Students must learn how to use AI tools confidently and competently, which includes understanding prompt engineering, interpreting AI-generated results, and recognising the limitations or biases inherent in these systems (Dolenc & Brumen, 2024; Haq et al., 2025; Mahrishi et al., 2024).”
  • AI self-efficacy has a positive correlation with perceptions of usefulness and efficient usage of GenAI solutions.

    “It was found by Shuhaiber et al. (2025) and Haq et al. (2025) to have a positive correlation with perceptions of usefulness and efficient usage of GenAI solutions.”

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Haq, M. Z. U., Cao, G., & Abukhait, R. M. Y.
Affiliations
Ajman University (AE)
Corresponding author
Haq, Muhammad Zia Ul
Venue
British Journal of Educational Technology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2025-03-21
Volume
56
Issue
6
Pages
2428-2452
ISSN
  • 0007-1013 (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-8535
OpenAlex
W4408763524
Cited by
26
References
70
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 5 · 2023: 1
FWCI
25.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
British Journal of Educational Technology (publishedVersion)
Funders
Ajman University (RESDRGS‐004)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Technology Adoption and User Behaviour
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Artificial Intelligence in Education
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › AI in Service Interactions
Keywords
ChatGPT, generative AI in higher education, student attitudes, behavioral intention, technology acceptance, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, threat perception, responsible AI use

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review