Artificial intelligence adoption in higher education in Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract This study investigates lecturers’ views on the effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in Nigerian higher education and analyzes the influence of gender and academic cadre on these perceptions. Despite a growing global focus on AI adoption in education, there is a limited body of research exploring gender-based and cadre based perceptions of AI among higher education lecturers in Nigeria. With the increasing use of General AI and Generative AI (GenAI) tools by students for academic tasks, questions have emerged around academic integrity, student dependence, and reduced critical thinking. The research was conducted at the Faculty of Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria, using a quantitative survey approach. A structured 20-item questionnaire was distributed to 64 lecturers across various departments. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Mann–Whitney U tests, with a significance level set at p ≤ 0.05. Findings show that lecturers expressed moderate concern about AI integration (Mean = 3.62), particularly with its potential to affect student learning behaviors. Views on the effectiveness of AI tools were also moderate (Mean = 3.05), with male lecturers and those in professorial roles rating AI more positively, though only gender-based attitudes toward AI use were statistically significant ( p = 0.041). While female lecturers reported slightly higher concern, and male lecturers showed more favorable attitudes overall, the differences in concern and perceived effectiveness were not significant. Academic cadre did not produce any significant differences across the measured areas. Despite some variations, most lecturers expressed a shared readiness to discuss and engage with AI, as well as a clear need for training and support to ensure responsible and effective use in teaching. The findings suggest that while lecturers are not opposed to AI in education, their support depends on addressing ethical concerns and providing adequate institutional backing.

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