EFFECT OF STUDENTS' OPINION ON THE CHANGES CAUSED BY THE INTEGRATION OF AI IN SCIENCE EDUCATION AND THE CHALLENGES FACED

Abstract

The study investigated the effects of students’ opinions on the changes caused by the integration of AI in science education and the challenges faced. The study’s population included participants in the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo State, comprising science students, sampled using proportionate stratified random sampling. From seven departments in the School of Secondary Education (Science Programs), Federal College of Education (Special), twenty-one (21) students each were chosen at random, giving a total sample size of one hundred and forty-seven (147) respondents. The instrument used for data collection was a well-designed questionnaire. Data gathered on demographic information was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and simple percentages. At the same time, the hypothesis was tested using Pearson’s product Moment Correlation (PPMC) at a 0.05 level of significance (p>0.05). The result from the analysis of the first hypothesis shows that there is a significant relationship between the use of artificial intelligence as a science education tool and students' opinions about changes brought about by the integration of AI in science education, as indicated by Pearson's Correlation r = 0.258 computed for a significant relationship with p-value = 0.002, which is less than the Alpha level of 0.05. Furthermore, the examination of the second hypothesis revealed that Pearson's Correlation, r = 0.236, calculated a significant relationship between student's perceptions of changes brought about by the integration of AI in science education and difficulties encountered during implementation, with a p-value of 0.004, below the alpha threshold of 0.05. This suggests that there is a significant relationship between student's perceptions of changes brought about by the integration of AI in science education and difficulties encountered during implementation. The incorporation of artificial intelligence into science education and its application are greatly influenced by the opinions of the students. Students' attitudes and interest in artificial intelligence may also be impacted by the difficulties in integrating AI into science instruction. Encouragement of the use of AI in instruction, activities, learning contracts, and other educational experiences is advised when it comes to the teaching-learning process. Policymakers and educators alike ought to make greater investments in AI, respond to students' worries about it, and motivate them to get the most out of integrating AI.