Perceptions of Primary School Teacher Education Students to the Use of ChatGPT to Support Learning in the Digital Era

Abstract

Technology advancements like Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) have given the educational sector new advantages as well as difficulties and demands. Academics often differ on the benefits and effectiveness of implementing ChatGPT in the classroom. It is important for students who use ChatGPT in classroom learning to express their views on the use of ChatGPT. Therefore, this study aims to explore students’ perspectives in higher education towards utilizing ChatGPT as support for learning in the digital era. A mixed-methods—quantitative and qualitative research design is being used in this study. Forty-five University of Mataram Indonesia students studying elementary school teacher education participated in the research. Interviews and the distribution of questionnaires were used to collect research data. The conclusion of this study states that students find it easy to use ChatGPT. The use of ChatGPT is considered to increase their knowledge, provide fast and accurate answers to questions, and is able to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of learning time. In addition, students stated that the use of ChatGPT can provide additional motivation in the learning process. However, they have not been able to become more motivated to learn by using ChatGPT. They worry about unjust evaluations and the possibility of plagiarism, which can weaken one’s capacity for critical thought. Based on the study’s findings, experts recommend more investigation into ChatGPT’s potential to improve student motivation in the classroom.