Modeling the Influence of Generative AI Writing Tools on Academic Integrity and Writing Proficiency in Higher Education: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Abstract

The integration of Generative AI writing tools in higher education has transformed the landscape of academic writing, presenting both opportunities and challenges for teachers and students. This study examines the effect of the GenAI writing tools on the academic integrity and the writing proficiency of students using a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. The study targeted undergraduate students in Punjab, Pakistan, utilizing a stratified purposive sampling strategy to select 400 participants from six representative universities (three public and three private). All participants were active users of GenAI tools such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, QuillBot and Google Gemini. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings reveal a complex dynamic: while GenAI tools significantly enhance writing proficiency, they simultaneously exert a negative influence on academic integrity. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that writing proficiency plays a crucial mediating role; students with higher writing proficiency demonstrate more strategic and ethical applications of GenAI tools. This study provokes the need of such a pedagogical intervention that would maintain the balance between technological assistance and the development of academic integrity and critical writing skills. These results provide practical approaches to integrating GenAI tools while protecting the academic integrity, forming the basis for future policy proposals in higher education.

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