Developing and validating a scale of empowerment in using artificial intelligence for problem-solving for senior secondary and university students

Empowerment enables students to be psychologically and affectively ready to leverage the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI). However, a theory-driven scale to extend empowerment into the use of AI for problem-solving is lacking. This study developed and validated an 11-item scale of empowermen...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Siu Cheung Kong, Jinyu Zhu, Yin Nicole Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666920X24001620
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Summary:Empowerment enables students to be psychologically and affectively ready to leverage the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI). However, a theory-driven scale to extend empowerment into the use of AI for problem-solving is lacking. This study developed and validated an 11-item scale of empowerment in using AI for problem-solving (EUAIPS) based on a proposed conceptual framework that synthesises empowerment and AI-related literature. The EUAIPS scale encompasses impact, self-efficacy, and meaningfulness in using AI for problem-solving. We collected data from a diverse sample of Hong Kong senior secondary and university students before (N = 477) and after the course (N = 409). Results demonstrated that the EUAIPS scale with a three-factor structure had good reliability and validity. Students also felt significantly more empowered to use AI for problem-solving after a 14-h course using AI for problem-solving. These findings empirically support the affective dimension of AI literacy and show that psychological control/competence is particularly important for students to harness AI to solve problems at the affective level. This study presents a valid instrument for researchers and practitioners to measure empowerment in using AI for problem-solving and informs AI literacy curriculum designers about including learning activities to help students realise its impact, self-efficacy, and meaningfulness.
ISSN:2666-920X