Examining the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Teaching–Learning Process at the Secondary Level

Abstract

   

The rapid diffusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into everyday educational practice has raised important questions about how such technologies reshape teaching and learning at the school level. The present study examined the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the teaching-learning process among secondary stage students (Classes 9 and 10) in the Trivandrum region of Kerala, India. A descriptive survey method was adopted, and data were collected from a sample of 250 students drawn from government and private secondary schools using a self-constructed, expert-validated questionnaire consisting of twenty items rated on a three-point Likert scale. The instrument measured six dimensions: perception of AI in education, use of AI tools, impact on learning, student engagement and motivation, time management and study planning, and attitude toward AI and its future use. Data were analysed using percentiles, mean, standard deviation, and the independent samples t-test at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that AI exerts a moderate but meaningful overall impact on the teaching-learning process. Students in AI-supported classrooms reported significantly better teaching-learning outcomes than those in non-AI-supported classrooms (t = 2.18, p < .05). Significant differences were also observed on the basis of school type (t = 2.25) and locality (t = 2.05), with private school and urban students reporting higher AI impact, whereas gender (t = 1.02) and class level (t = 0.99) produced no significant differences. The study concludes that AI can strengthen understanding, engagement, and self-regulated study habits, but unequal access between government and private schools and between urban and rural learners threatens to widen existing educational divides. Implications for policy, teacher preparation, and equitable AI integration are discussed.