Harnessing AI in School Counselling: Exploring the Potential of ChatGPT for Student Support

Abstract

Background/purpose. This study explores the extent to which ChatGPT, an AI-powered large language model, can support school counseling services in addressing students’ academic, social, and emotional needs, considering student AI literacy and adoption. It investigates ChatGPT’s role in assisting counselors, delivering personalized guidance, ensuring 24/7 availability, and addressing ethical considerations. Materials/Methods. For evaluating its effectiveness in school counseling, the study employed ChatGPT for role-play simulations of interactions and analysis of the literature already published on AI in education. Based on studies concerning technology use in education, the scope of the study included five crucial areas: response time, counselor assistance, tailored student support, ethics, and engagement dimensions, AI literacy, and adoption hurdles. Results. As the study has shown, ChatGPT is capable of providing students tailored recommendations and streamlining office tasks so that the counselors can devote themselves to more complex tasks. Immediate support, especially during times of crisis, is also provided through the AI model’s round-the-clock availability. However, effective use depends on students’ AI literacy, with training needed to improve prompt engineering skills, and adoption requires user-friendly interfaces and awareness campaigns. Limitations include potential biases in AI responses, data privacy risks, and the necessity for human oversight to maintain empathetic, individualized care. Conclusion. ChatGPT offers significant potential as a supplementary tool in school counseling, enhancing efficiency and accessibility. By addressing student AI literacy and adoption barriers through training and clear communication, its impact can be optimized. However, ethical challenges, including privacy and bias, require careful management. Human counselors remain essential for nuanced, empathetic support. Future research should investigate long-term impacts and establish ethical guidelines for AI integration in educational settings.

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