Perception of Artificial Intelligence in Education by High School Students in a Rural Region in the US in Comparison with US in General and Europe

Abstract

This research study examines the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education at high school. AI impacts the precollege students' learning. AI usage is also shaped by students' attitudes towards it. A survey on student perceptions on this was conducted in a public high school in a rural region in the U.S. in spring 2023 at the tail end of the pandemic. Despite the relatively small sample size (31 nearly full set of answers from grades 9-12), it is interesting to compare it with a similar study in Europe with 766 responses from 178 high schools in grades 8-12 (grade 8 is their starting grade) in 2021-2022 academic year. The survey inquiries about students' recognition of AI, and we expect the students to select all the answers, but not all were selected, indicating that some were not recognized by the students as AI, and we could raise the awareness of AI. However, the recognition percentages in the rural region in the U.S. were higher than in the study in Europe. It could be because this study's sample size is small, or as time progresses from 2021 to 2023, the awareness of AI is growing globally. The open-ended questions asked students about their thoughts on the risks, benefits, methods, visions, and regulations of AI in education. Several meaningful themes emerged from these students' answers. This study did not focus on specific AI tools, though, and if the students had had direct experience with some AI tools, their perceptions might differ.

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