Behavioral intention and actual use of ChatGPT in higher education
A correlational study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32674/4kwhmf65Keywords:
ChatGPT, Behavioral Intention, actual use, Technology Acceptance Model , UTAUT, higer education, STEM educationAbstract
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT are increasingly integrated into higher education, yet research emphasizes students’ intentions to adopt these tools rather than their actual use. This study examined whether behavioral intention predicts self-reported usage frequency. Using secondary survey data from higher-education participants (N = 751), a three-item behavioral intention composite and a 0–7 usage-frequency index were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and simple linear regression. Mean intention was M = 3.35 (SD = 0.91) and mean frequency was M = 3.22 (SD = 2.10). Behavioral intention correlated positively with usage frequency, r = .49, p < .001, and significantly predicted use, B = 1.12, SE = 0.07, β = .49, R² = .239, F (1, 748) = 235.04, p < .001. Findings support TAM and UTAUT while suggesting that institutional supports are needed to translate intention into sustained and responsible AI use in higher education.
References
Abbas, M., Jam, F. A., & Khan, T. I. (2024). Is it harmful or helpful? Examining the causes and consequences of generative AI usage among university students. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21, Article 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-024-00444-7
Ahmed, W. M. M., Abdalmotalib, M. M., Elbadawi, M. H., Mohammed, G. T. F., Mohamed, W. M. I., Mohammed, F. S. B., Salih, H. S., & Mohamed, H. O. Y. (2025). Shaping the future of medical education: A cross-sectional study on ChatGPT attitude and usage among medical students in Sudan. PLOS ONE, 20(5), e0324698. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0324698
Alshammari, S. H., & Babu, E. (2025). The mediating role of satisfaction in the relationship between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and students’ behavioural intention to use ChatGPT. Scientific Reports, 15, Article 7169. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-91634-4
Blahopoulou, J., & Ortiz-Bonnin, S. (2025). Student perceptions of ChatGPT: Benefits, costs, and attitudinal differences between users and non-users toward AI integration in higher education. Education and Information Technologies, 30(14), 19741–19764. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13575-9
Faraon, M., Rönkkö, K., Milrad, M., & Tsui, E. (2025). International perspectives on artificial intelligence in higher education: An explorative study of students’ intention to use ChatGPT across the Nordic countries and the USA. Education and Information Technologies, 30(13), 17835–17880. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13492-x
IBM Corp. (2024). IBM SPSS Statistics for Mac (Version 29.0) [Computer software]. IBM Corp. https://www.ibm.com/products/spss-statistics
Johnston, H., Wells, R. F., Shanks, E. M., Boey, T., & Parsons, B. N. (2024). Student perspectives on the use of generative artificial intelligence technologies in higher education. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 20, Article 2. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-024-00149-4
Korchak, A. E., Patarakin, Y. D., & Costley, J. (2025). Exploring the use of generative artificial intelligence by university students: A systematic literature review. RUDN Journal of Informatization in Education, 22(1), 37–57. https://doi.org/10.22363/2312-8631-2025-22-1-37-57
Moradi, H. (2025). Integrating AI in higher education: Factors influencing ChatGPT acceptance among Chinese university EFL students. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 22, Article 30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-025-00530-4
Ravšelj, D., Keržič, D., Tomaževič, N., Umek, L., Brezovar, N., Iahad, N. A., Abdulla, A. A., Akopyan, A., Aldana Segura, M. W., AlHumaid, J., Allam, M. F., Alló, M., Andoh, R. P. K., Andronic, O., Arthur, Y. D., Aydın, F., Badran, A., Balbontín-Alvarado, R., Ben Saad, H., … Aristovnik, A. (2025). Higher education students’ perceptions of ChatGPT: A global study of early reactions. PLOS ONE, 20(2), e0315011. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0315011
Sergeeva, O. V., Zheltukhina, M. R., Shoustikova, T., Tukhvatullina, L. R., Dobrokhotov, D. A., & Kondrashev, S. V. (2025). Understanding higher education students’ adoption of generative AI technologies: An empirical investigation using UTAUT2. Contemporary Educational Technology, 17(2), Article ep571. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/16039
Strzelecki, A. (2024). Students’ acceptance of ChatGPT in higher education: An extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. Innovative Higher Education, 49(2), 223–245. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-023-09686-1
Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., & Davis, F. D. (2003). User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425–478. https://doi.org/10.2307/30036540
Venkatesh, V., Thong, J. Y. L., & Xu, X. (2012). Consumer acceptance and use of information technology: Extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. MIS Quarterly, 36(1), 157–178. https://doi.org/10.2307/41410412
Zhai, C., Wibowo, S., & Li, L. D. (2024). The effects of over-reliance on AI dialogue systems on students’ cognitive abilities: A systematic review. Smart Learning Environments, 11, Article 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-024-00316-7
Zogheib, S., & Zogheib, B. (2024). Understanding university students’ adoption of ChatGPT: Insights from TAM, SDT, and beyond. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 23, 025. https://doi.org/10.28945/5377
Additional Files
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Brandon Hester
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) [year] [author]
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Call for Special Issue Proposals 
