The Role of AI as a Scaffolding Tool in Promoting Students’ Sense of Inclusion in Higher Education

Résumé

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of AI as a scaffolding tool on undergraduate students’ perceived inclusion in higher education. To this purpose, we adopted an explanatory mixed-method design, whereby numerical data were gathered, first, from an online questionnaire distributed to 69 respondents and, later, from a different set of interviewees. The results showed that there is a significant positive correlation between AI-assisted learning and participants' perception of inclusion (rₛ = .617, p < .001). Specifically, AI-assisted learning accounted for almost 35% of the variance in their perception of inclusion. Moreover, the qualitative findings revealed that AI is perceived as a learning resource, a non-judgmental environment, and a tool that provides self-assurance to learners. That said, issues such as reliability, inequity, and the role of human contact were also mentioned.