The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into education is no longer a futuristic concept—it is happening now. Among the most prominent AI tools, ChatGPT has emerged as a valuable asset for both students and educators. A recent systematic literature review by Dimeli & Kostas (2024) analysed 50 empirical studies on the use of ChatGPT in school and higher education (HE), offering key insights into its applications, challenges, and impact on learning.
How is ChatGPT Being Used in Education?
The study reveals that ChatGPT has found applications across various educational levels, from preschool to university education. The main ways in which students and educators are using ChatGPT include:
🔹 Content Generation for Educators: Educators are leveraging ChatGPT to create quizzes, lesson plans, personalised learning materials, and even design assessment rubrics. This allows educators to save time and focus on student engagement rather than administrative tasks.
🔹 Personalised Learning for Students: Students use ChatGPT as a study companion to explain complex concepts, generate ideas for assignments, and practice problem-solving. In foreign language learning, for example, ChatGPT acts as a conversational partner, providing real-time feedback on writing and grammar.
🔹 STEM Applications: In mathematics, chemistry, and computer science, ChatGPT is used to explain problem-solving steps and assist in programming tasks like code debugging. However, it struggles with accurate numerical computations and complex calculations, necessitating additional verification.
🔹 Academic Writing and Research: Many university students and researchers utilise ChatGPT to enhance their writing skills, refine essays, and even develop structured research methodologies.
Performance and Impact on Learning
The findings indicate that ChatGPT can enhance student performance in multiple disciplines, particularly in cognitive development, critical thinking, and motivation. Key areas of positive impact include:
- Improved cognitive performance: Students using ChatGPT in history, science, and mathematics have shown higher knowledge retention and better problem-solving skills.
- Enhanced critical thinking skills: In subjects like world religions, physics, and research methodology, ChatGPT has been used in knowledge-building activities, encouraging deeper analysis and evaluation.
- Boost in student motivation and engagement: Many students report that ChatGPT makes learning more interactive and helps them stay motivated, particularly in subjects that require extensive writing or conceptual understanding.
- Advancement in AI literacy: Exposure to ChatGPT fosters AI literacy among students, preparing them for an increasingly AI-driven world.
Challenges and Ethical Concerns
While the benefits are clear, the study also highlights several limitations and ethical concerns associated with ChatGPT in education:
- Accuracy Issues: ChatGPT is known to produce inaccurate, outdated, or fabricated information (“hallucinations”), making it unreliable for subjects that require precise factual knowledge.
- Academic Integrity Risks: The tool raises concerns about plagiarism, over-reliance, and reduced original thinking among students.
- Lack of Creativity and Emotional Intelligence: Despite its ability to generate coherent text, ChatGPT struggles with creative problem-solving, deep reasoning, and emotional expression—skills that are crucial in human-centered disciplines.
- Bias and Ethical Challenges: AI models like ChatGPT can perpetuate biases present in their training data, leading to ethical concerns in education. Additionally, unequal access to AI tools could widen the digital divide between students with different technological resources.
Future Research and Recommendations
The study underscores the need for a structured approach to integrating AI in education. Researchers recommend:
- Training students and educators in AI literacy to ensure responsible and ethical usage.
- Developing clear guidelines on AI-generated content to protect academic integrity.
- Enhancing AI tools to minimise biases and improve reliability.
- Exploring AI applications in special education and underrepresented educational settings, such as primary education and informal learning environments.
Final Thoughts
The role of ChatGPT in education is evolving rapidly. While it offers exciting opportunities for personalised learning and teaching support, it also presents challenges that require careful consideration. By embracing AI responsibly, educators and policymakers can maximise its benefits while safeguarding ethical standards and academic integrity.
AI in education is not a replacement for teachers but a powerful tool to enhance learning experiences. The key lies in balancing innovation with critical oversight—ensuring that AI serves as a supportive partner rather than a disruptive force in the classroom.
And that’s where our INFINITE project comes into play to empower the HE community for the responsible use of AI in teaching, learning and assessment.
Our six partners from Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland and The Netherlands are working together to develop:
– An AI Literacy Toolkit and AI Digital Hub with a rich repository of resources for HE academics to make responsible use of AI for innovative teaching and assessment.
– A complementary blended course for HE students to help their understanding of the interdisciplinary nature and implications of the use of AI.
By building capacity and digital resilience of HE staff and students, our project aims to create a domino effect for the digital transformation of the HE sector and increase the employability of HE graduates.
What are your thoughts on the use of AI in general and ChatGPT specifically in education? Join the conversation in the comments!
Source: Dimeli, M. & Kostas, A. (2025). The Role of ChatGPT in Education: Applications, Challenges: Insights from a Systematic Review. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 24. https://doi.org/10.28945/5422