SCIENCE STUDENTS AWARENESS AND PERCEPTION OF USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS IN AMINU SALEH COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, BAUCHI STATE

Abstract

The study used a descriptive survey to assess science students’ awareness and perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) tools at Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare, guided by four research questions and one hypothesis; from the population of all science students, 147 respondents across Biology Education, Health Education, and Agricultural Education completed an online SurveyHeart questionnaire (validated by experts and showing a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.73 via SPSS v.26), and data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, and one‑way ANOVA. Findings showed varied awareness of specific AI platforms—ChatGPT (80%), Meta AI (73%), Google Meet (15%), Google Classroom (7%), and Gemini (7%)—while overall levels of awareness and use were uneven: about 70% of students demonstrated low awareness of AI tools for learning, 31% moderate awareness, 36% reported no awareness of using AI in learning, and only 10% had high awareness. Students’ perceptions were generally favorable, with an aggregate mean of 4.11 indicating that most viewed AI as an efficient academic aid that optimizes study time and provides quick access to personalized resources. Gender comparisons revealed that female students reported a higher mean level of awareness than males (32.06 vs. 26.53), and a one‑way ANOVA found a statistically significant gender difference in awareness and utilization of AI tools (F =4.4, df =146, p=0.04), whereas perceptions did not differ significantly by gender (female mean 4.15 vs. male mean 4.10; ANOVA F =0.20, df =146, p=0.65). Overall, while specific AI platforms are known to many students, substantive gaps exist in practical awareness and use—especially among a large portion with low or no awareness—despite generally positive perception toward AI’s educational benefits, suggesting a need for targeted training and integration strategies to increase equitable and effective adoption across programs and genders.