Artificial Intelligence Usage on Students' Self-Efficacy and Academic Achievement in Among University Students in Kenya

Authors

  • Dr. Fauziya Karama
    Head of Department School of Business and Economics, Islamic University of Kenya

Abstract

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Artificial Intelligence (AI) usage on academic achievement among university students in Kenya, with a particular focus on the mediating role of students’ self-efficacy.


Material/methods: The study was guided by the Diffusion of Innovations Theory and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and anchored on the positivist research philosophy. The target population comprised 89,391 third- and fourth-year undergraduate students drawn from 11 universities in Nairobi County, Kenya. A sample of 398 respondents was selected using proportionate stratified sampling. Primary data were collected through structured self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Hayes’ PROCESS Macro Model 4 was used to test the direct and mediating effects.


Findings: The findings revealed that AI usage significantly enhances students’ academic self-efficacy by strengthening their confidence in completing academic tasks. Students with higher levels of self-efficacy demonstrated improved academic achievement, underscoring the importance of confidence in learning outcomes. The results further showed that AI usage does not directly improve academic achievement, but instead influences performance indirectly through students’ self-efficacy.


Conclusion: The study concludes that students’ self-efficacy fully mediates the relationship between AI usage and academic achievement. This implies that the academic benefits of AI are realized through enhanced student confidence rather than through direct effects on performance.


Value: The study extends existing knowledge by showing that AI usage improves academic achievement indirectly through students’ self-efficacy rather than through a direct effect. It also offers practical insight to universities and policymakers that AI integration should be accompanied by strategies that build students’ confidence in academic tasks.