How Do Engineering Students View And Use Generative AI For Learning? Exploring Their Habits, Beliefs, And Attitudes

Abstract

The emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) is reshaping engineering education. This study explores engineering students’ perceptions of the use of GAI tools to support their learning, focusing on three dimensions: 1) perceived ease of use and usefulness, 2) personalization, interactivity, and confidence, and 3) perceived intelligence and intention to adopt. A descriptive quantitative design was employed, involving 66 BSc and MSc engineering students from a Portuguese university who responded to a 49-item survey. The survey was designed ad hoc by the authors, drawing on recent instruments developed to assess higher education students’ perceptions of GAI use and adoption for learning (e.g., TAME-ChatGPT). Overall results show that students find GAI intuitive and beneficial for learning. However, they also recognize the importance of asking good questions and that these tools can dampen creativity and critical thinking. On the one hand, students are optimistic and inclined to adopt them; on the other hand, they voice ethical and reliability concerns (e.g., information credibility, over-reliance, plagiarism). These findings underscore the need for carefully designed, well-founded integration strategies that can both maximize the potential of GAI tools and minimize their pitfalls. Institutional guidelines, faculty professional development, and AI literacy training initiatives for students may play key roles in fostering the responsible and effective adoption of these tools in academic settings.

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