Exploring the Association between AI Tool Use and Academic Self-Efficacy among University Students in Israel

Oct 15, 2026

Academic self-efficacy—students’ belief in their capability to manage academic tasks and overcome challenges—is a key educational success factor. As artificial intelligence tools increasingly enter higher education, this correlational study assesses the association between students’ engagement with AI tools and their perceived academic self-efficacy in Israeli universities. Using validated self-report data from 102 undergraduate and graduate students, the study finds a weak but statistically significant positive correlation. Because the design is correlational, no causal claims are made. Findings offer preliminary guidance for curricula and AI-informed student motivation, while further research is needed on specific AI tool types and long-term effects on self-directed learning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages14

Reading Time35 min

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African EducaƟonal Research Journal Vol. 13(3), pp. 311-324, August 2025 ISSN: 2354-2160 Full Length Research Paper Exploring the association between AI tool use and academic self-efficacy among university students in Israel Roman Yavich1, Nitza Davidovitch2 and Aleksandra Gerkerova2* 1 Department of Mathematics, Ariel University, Israel. 2 Education Department, Ariel University, Israel. Accepted 23 July, 2025 | ABSTRACT
Academic self-efficacy, understood as students’ belief in their capability to manage academic tasks and overcome challenges, is widely recognized as a key factor in educational success. In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as adaptive learning systems, virtual tutors, and AI-driven analytics, have been increasingly integrated into higher education. This correlational study examines the association between students’ engagement with AI tools and their perceived academic self-efficacy in Israeli universities. Based on self-report data from 102 undergraduate and graduate students, collected through a validated academic self-efficacy questionnaire, the study examines how the frequency and nature of AI tool usage relate to students’ confidence in handling academic challenges. The results reveal a weak but statistically significant positive correlation between AI usage and self-efficacy. As this is a correlational study, no causal conclusions can be drawn. Nonetheless, the findings may provide preliminary insights for curriculum developers and educational policymakers aiming to support student motivation through the informed use of AI technologies. Further research is needed to explore the specific types of AI tools that may support academic confidence and how their long-term use interacts with students' self-directed learning. These findings underscore the relevance of AI integration in higher education and highlight the need for thoughtful implementation strategies that enhance students’ academic confidence and learning autonomy.
Keywords: Artificial intelligence, higher education, universities, students, self-efficacy, learning. | | --- | | *Corresponding author. Email: [gerkerova@ukr. net](gerkerova@ukr. net). | INTRODUCTION The present study investigates the relationship between two key variables: students’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and their academic self-efficacy. Although AI tools are increasingly being integrated into higher education, there is limited empirical evidence on how these tools affect students’ confidence in their academic abilities. Academic self-efficacy, defined as students’ belief in their capability to complete academic tasks successfully, plays a critical role in learning outcomes. While AI tools are now widely used by students for academic purposes, their actual impact on academic selfefficacy is still not fully understood. Most existing studies examine AI adoption in technical terms or focus on educators’ perspectives (Zhai et al. , 2021; Lampropoulos and Kinshuk, 2024), leaving open questions about how students themselves perceive and use these tools. Furthermore, prior research has often addressed AI or self-efficacy as isolated topics rather than examining their interrelation (Baherimoghadam et al. , 2021; Li et al. , 2023; Holmes et al. , 2019) . Afr Educ Res J 312 The current study addresses this gap by focusing specifically on higher-education students and investigating the correlation between their use of AI tools and their academic self-efficacy. This focus is particularly timely, as it captures a unique moment in the educational landscape – the first full academic year (2023–2024) following the mass availability of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. At that time, most institutions had not yet established clear guidelines or frameworks for AI use in education, allowing this research to reflect authentic and unstructured adoption patterns among students. Understanding how AI tools influence students'academic s

FAQs

What is the main research question of the study?

The study examines the relationship between university students’ use of artificial intelligence tools and their academic self-efficacy in Israeli higher education.

How was academic self-efficacy measured?

Academic self-efficacy was measured using a validated academic self-efficacy questionnaire based on students’ self-report data.

What do the results show about AI tool use and self-efficacy?

The results reveal a weak but statistically significant positive correlation between AI usage and students’ self-efficacy.

Can the study conclude that AI tools cause higher self-efficacy?

No. Because the study is correlational, it does not support causal conclusions about the effect of AI tools on self-efficacy.

Oct 15, 2026

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