A Quantitative Analysis of Artificial Intelligence’s Impact on Students’ Mindset and Critical Thinking in Higher Education

Abstract

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly transformed higher education, redefining how students learn, reason, and engage with academic content. This study investigates the impact of AI utilization on students’ mindsets and critical thinking skills within university learning settings. Employing a quantitative research design, data were gathered through an online questionnaire administered to 28 students from various academic disciplines. The survey assessed students’ engagement with AI tools including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity in learning processes such as understanding course materials, completing assignments, and problem-solving activities. The results indicate that most participants perceive AI as highly beneficial for enhancing comprehension, efficiency, and creativity in academic work. Students report that AI applications help them approach problems from diverse perspectives and stimulate idea generation. Nevertheless, concerns about overdependence are evident, as 53.6% of respondents believe that excessive reliance on AI may diminish autonomy and critical reasoning capacity. While a majority of students claim to verify AI-generated responses, a minority remain unaware of biases and inaccuracies, emphasizing the need to strengthen AI literacy in academic contexts. Overall, the findings suggest that AI serves as both a catalyst for deeper learning and a potential risk to intellectual independence. Its integration into higher education must therefore be approached with pedagogical mindfulness, ensuring that AI acts not as a replacement for human thought but as a tool for reflection, creativity, and metacognitive growth. Educators are encouraged to design learning experiences that require students to analyze, compare, and critique AI outputs critically. In conclusion, AI represents a dual-edged innovation: when applied ethically and reflectively, it can foster a growth-oriented mindset and strengthen critical thinking, but without proper guidance, it may cultivate intellectual complacency and dependency.