Students’ Perceptions of ChatGPT in Education: A Rapid Systematic Literature Review

This research explains the perceptions of university students regarding the use of ChatGPT in their learning and research. The research is based on evidence provided in articles that were considered in a systematic literature review using the PRISMA model. The motivation for this study was informed by a realization that there are limited studies that provide a comprehensive understanding of students’ perceptions regarding the use of ChatGPT in learning and research. Many existing studies either focus on educators’ perceptions or isolated cases of empirical studies. It is therefore not clear what factors influence students’ adoption of ChatGPT. This gap was addressed by this study by conducting a systematic literature review to identify factors influencing the adoption of ChatGPT, the positive impact of ChatGPT on students’ education and the concerns raised by students regarding the integration of ChatGPT into academic practice. The research focus was on articles that discuss the students’ perceptions of ChatGPT, all of which were drawn from Google Scholar. In total 32 articles were considered for analysis for this study and in this paper, we present five constructs that influence the adoption of ChatGPT in academic activities. Even though the students’ perceptions of ChatGPT are widely varied, the findings of this research show that students concur that ChatGPT has a positive influence on their learning. The students further highlighted concerns relating to their use of ChatGPT in learning, which could be improved if the tool’s educational effectiveness is to be realized. The contribution of this study is three-fold. First, the findings of this research explain the perceptions of students about using ChatGPT in academic practice. Second, the results of this study inform the university management and policymakers about how to effectively integrate ChatGPT into the education system. Third, the study suggests, recommends, and guides educators who wish to incorporate this new, powerful tool (ChatGPT) into their teaching.