INFLUENCE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) TOOLS ON THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ECONOMICS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN PANKSHIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF PLATEAU STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools on the teaching and learning of Economics in public secondary schools in Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. Two objectives, two research questions, and two null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised 1,107 respondents, consisting of 24 Economics teachers and 1,083 Senior Secondary II (SSII) students offering Economics in the 24 public senior secondary schools in the area. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 350 students and all Economics teachers from 10 public secondary schools. Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled Artificial Intelligence Tools and Economics Teaching and Learning Questionnaire (AITETLQ). Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while Simple Linear Regression
was used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that AI tools positively influenced the teaching of Economics by improving lesson preparation, instructional delivery, classroom interaction, assessment, feedback, and overall teaching effectiveness. The study also found that AI tools positively influenced students‘ learning of Economics by improving understanding of concepts, interest, participation, independent study, problem-solving skills, and academic performance. The regression results showed that AI tools had a significant positive influence on both the teaching and learning of Economics. The study concluded that effective integration of AI tools can enhance Economics instruction and students‘ learning outcomes in public secondary schools. It was recommended that schools should provide digital facilities and train teachers and students on the effective educational use of AI tools