AWARENESS AND UTILIZATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AMONG ECONOMICS STUDENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

This study examined the awareness and utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) among Economics students in secondary schools in Rivers State. Two research questions guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised 1,650 Economics students, from which a sample of 180 students was selected using a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected using the Questionnaire on Awareness and Utilization of Artificial Intelligence in Economics (QAUAIE). The reliability of the instrument was established using the test–retest method, with the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) yielding a reliability coefficient of 0.77. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. The findings revealed that the students had a high level of awareness of artificial intelligence, with a grand mean of 4.23, and a high level of utilization, with a grand mean of 4.18. Based on the findings, it was recommended that schools should strengthen AI education by exposing students to the educational, economic, social and ethical implications of artificial intelligence, while Economics teachers should provide practical guidance on the appropriate use of AI tools for learning, data analysis and understanding difficult Economics concepts.