Generative AI in Academic Research: A Descriptive Study on Awareness, Gender Usage, and Views among Pre-Service Teachers

Abstract

This study investigated the engagement of Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) with Generative AI (GAI) tools in their research projects, focusing on their awareness, source of awareness, usage pattern based on gender, and views of GAI tools in academic research. We adopted a descriptive survey method to collect data from one hundred and four PSTs across five institutions in Ghana using a five-point Likert-type survey instrument, which included an open-ended question. The quantitative data were analyzed using means, frequencies, percentages, standard deviations, and an independent samples t-test. The findings revealed that PSTs are familiar with GAI tools, especially ChatGPT and Google Bard. They learned about these tools through personal searches, recommendations from friends, and social media platforms. The PSTs used these tools in writing all chapters of their research projects, with the Introduction Chapter being the most common area of application, followed by the Discussion and Findings Chapter, the Literature Review Chapter, Methodology, and Summary and Conclusion. We also identified a significant gender disparity in the use of GAI tools, with male PSTs exhibiting a higher frequency of use compared to their female counterparts. Nonetheless, both genders expressed a positive attitude towards GAI tools in academic research, noting among other benefits that these tools provided them with confidence and independence in their research writing. However, they also recognized inaccuracies in the information provided by GAI tools, which led to skepticism about relying solely on these tools for their research projects. Consequently, they expressed a preference for support from their research supervisors, highlighting the importance of a balanced approach that combines the use of GAI tools with human supervision in academic research. While we recommend the integrating of GAI tools in teacher education programs, we strongly suggest that such integration should be complemented with comprehensive guidance on how these tools can be effectively used by PSTs to conduct original and advanced research.