Introduction

Background of the Study

The 21st century's rapid technological growth has affected education, among other
industries. Since its November 2022 release, ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained
Transformer), a new artificial intelligence application, has amassed over 100 million users
and grown significantly in popularity among students, educators, and researchers.
ChatGPT is a chatbot that uses natural language processing to have conversations and
respond to users' questions in a way that seems human. It is designed to perform intricate
tasks like translating, summarizing, or extending texts, as well as composing articles,
poems, essays, and even creative computer code. Because of ChatGPT's effectiveness,
students say they rely on it for social and personal as well as academic help.

Changes in educational procedures and discussions among educators have

resulted from ChatGPT's increasing influence in students' lives. Some see ChatGPT and
related AI tools as the way of the future for education, while others see them as a danger
to the development of fundamental skills like critical thinking and problem-solving.
Chatbots are convenient because they are easily accessible, and their fast generation of
information and detailed explanations provide quality research material to be used for
academic tasks or personal use (Radeva, 2024).

With the benefits of chatbots, ChatGPT has become a commonality in multimedia

pieces for entertainment and information. It isn’t a rare sight to see students using
ChatGPT to help with their homework. And with consistent use of the AI and continuous
improvements and modifications being put into Chatbots, people become more adaptive
in fully harnessing the potential of ChatGPT. Consequently, a number of educational
establishments have banned students from utilizing ChatGPT. AI integration in higher
education, however, has demonstrated promise in raising student happiness and learning
ability. Because of ChatGPT's alleged benefits and growing impact on daily life, banning
its use may not be a realistic solution. Rather, teachers can gain from analyzing
ChatGPT's effects on instruction and learning and establishing guidelines for its use.

The ease and convenience of using AI to generate content may deter students
from coming up with original ideas and doing their own independent research, which
could result in less originality and creativity in their work. Students begin to become
dependent on ChatGPT to generate resources due to the quick creation of information and
with proof, other perspectives and other explanations for the said information. This means
that there is less requirement to put in effort to find sources of information or testing and
questioning for data. This causes people to settle for lazy, unoriginal pieces of
information used for professional research, assignments and other academic tasks. This
issue is especially pertinent to disciplines like literature, history, and philosophy that call
on critical thinking and analysis. Students studying these subjects need to be able to
interact with complicated concepts and viewpoints as well as formulate their own
arguments and interpretations using data and analysis.
 Over-reliance on AI language models may compromise these abilities and result
in a lack of independent thought and intellectual curiosity. Furthermore, using AI
language models could give rise to moral questions about plagiarism and academic
honesty. It is crucial that students learn how to correctly cite sources and give credit to
others for their ideas, even though some may contend that employing AI to generate text
is not plagiarism.

Why is this topic important

The purpose of this research is to determine the extent to which AI/ChatGPT is being
utilized in the current educational system. It aims to evaluate how AI/ChatGPT assists
students in completing their academic tasks and to assess the ways in which students
benefit from this advanced tool. In today's era, it seems that the use of OpenAI tools for
academic work is becoming excessive, which is why this research was designed to
analyze how students are using AI tools. This study will help identify how many students
rely on AI/ChatGPT for their tasks and explore the specific ways they integrate it into
their academic work

The use of artificial intelligence is prevalent especially to students, and this research aims
to help guide the education system if the use of such A.I. Chatbots are actually helpful to
students or if it produces lazy and unworthy students for such educational titles. One
famous A.I. Chatbot that’s use is widespread is ChatGPT, and this specific Chatbot will
be our main A.I. assistant for this research because of its popularity and ease of use to
many students. The datas and information that will be gathered in this research will help
us identify the line of which an A.I. the tool is used to help students and not to replace the
student’s cognitive and creative thinking. We will also find out in this research if the use
of ChatGPT helps improve the students ability to learn and produce quality work or if it
helps produce incompetent graduate students due to they’re dependance to the A.I. rather
than relying on his/her own intelligence

Dependence on ChatGPT compared to researching manually highlights a significant shift in how

technology shapes learning and research processes. ChatGPT offers clear advantages, such as
efficiency, speed, and tailored learning experiences, making it highly appealing to both students
and researchers. It allows users to quickly generate ideas, distill complex information, and assist
in drafting content, drastically reducing the time and effort required for manual research. This
growing preference raises questions about the role of technology in education—whether it
enhances or undermines traditional methods of inquiry and knowledge acquisition.

The preference for ChatGPT over manual research carries important implications for educational
and research methodologies. Understanding this trend can help educators and policymakers
develop strategies to integrate AI effectively into learning environments, balancing its speed and
convenience with the critical thinking skills fostered by conventional research (Smith et al.,
2023). Moreover, such analysis sheds light on potential drawbacks, including over-reliance on
AI, concerns about accuracy, and ethical challenges, prompting a deeper consideration of how to
harness its benefits while mitigating risks.

How does this issue impact individuals or communities

Jelo
-​ Artificial intelligence such as chat bots like ChatGPT is getting more common nowadays,
while it may have its benefits such as its availability or accessibility 24/7, the utilization
of AI may become abuse when it is overused. AI’s such as ChatGPT creates human-like
responses from unique prompts that were made by us humans. Although it sounds like a
game changer, it also might pose some potential dangers to the quality of student work
throughout the innovation process of ai.

With AI innovating through time, there are certain videos across different social media
platforms that promote the use of AI in education, on how it can help students with their
learning and homeworks. With this it created a bandwagon effect throughout students that
ai is really helpful when it is used, making ai a “trend” rather than making it a tool.

-​ Kaeon- The growing reliance on AI tools like ChatGPT among students has significant
implications for both individuals and educational communities. Excessive dependence on
such technologies can hinder the development of critical thinking and problem-solving
skills, as students may opt for AI-generated answers without fully understanding the
underlying concepts. This trend raises concerns about academic integrity, with instances
of students using AI to complete assignments without proper authorization, challenging
traditional notions of academic honesty. Moreover, the convenience of AI-generated
content might lead to procrastination and a decline in academic performance, as students
may procrastinate and experience memory loss due to reduced engagement with the
material. Additionally, over-reliance on AI can diminish human creativity, as students
might rely on AI for answers without engaging deeply with complex concepts or
establishing connections between ideas. These developments underscore the need for
educational institutions to establish clear guidelines on the responsible use of AI,
ensuring that students develop essential cognitive skills while effectively integrating
technology into their learning processes.

Statement of the Problem

 Discussions among educators and modifications to teaching methods have
resulted from ChatGPT's increasing influence in students' lives. Others see ChatGPT and
related AI tools as a danger to the development of fundamental skills like
problem-solving and analytical thinking, while others see them as the teaching and
learning of the future. Students are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI)
technologies like ChatGPT to do schoolwork and some instructors are worried about how
this will affect education and critical thinking.The primary issue with ChatGPT is that it
may make it easier for students to cheat discreetly. This poses ethical and academic
integrity issues because it has been compared to outsourcing homework to robots. While
some believe that using AI to generate content is a quick and easy way to succeed, others
are concerned that relying too much on these tools could compromise academic integrity
and critical thinking.

The issue is that people, more specifically students, are being more reliant on
Chatbots to create their research papers. This leads to a lack of creativity, discipline, and
resourcefulness that stunts their learning. The dependence on ChatGPT leads to laziness,
limiting personal growth and improvement of individuals. In relation to our research
objective, we aim to determine how reliant students are in using ChatGPT. We Intend to
know how often students use ChatGPT in answering assignments, how much of their
work is from ChatGPT, and personally asking them how reliant they are to ChatGPT.

The growing dependence of students on ChatGPT rather than traditional manual research
methods marks a notable change in academic practices, necessitating further study. Students are
increasingly drawn to ChatGPT due to its efficiency, ease of access, and capacity to provide
detailed answers quickly, often sidestepping the more labor-intensive process of consulting
books, academic journals, and databases. This shift prompts concerns about the depth of
comprehension students gain when they opt for AI-generated content over independent research,
potentially affecting their ability to think critically and develop strong information literacy skills.
Our research aims to investigate the reasons behind this preference, exploring factors like
convenience, time constraints, and the need to meet academic deadlines, to determine how
deeply students depend on ChatGPT for their academic tasks (Lo, 2023).

This topic is significant because it examines the evolving role of technology in education and its
impact on learning outcomes at a time when AI is transforming conventional academic
approaches. Investigating the extent to which students use ChatGPT for assignments is vital for
educators, institutions, and policymakers seeking to refine teaching strategies and uphold
academic standards. Our study focuses on measuring this reliance through methods such as
surveys, interviews, and analysis of assignment trends, while also assessing its effects on skill
development and knowledge retention. By addressing the question, "To what extent do students
rely on ChatGPT for academic assignments?" We aim to offer valuable insights that can inform
the responsible integration of AI tools in education, ensuring they support rather than hinder the
learning experience (Lo, 2023).
### **Review of Related Literature (Summary)**

The assurance of AI systems from a dependability perspective focuses on minimizing trust in AI

components by integrating structured safeguards (Bloomfield & Rushby, 2024). Dependability
emphasizes “defense in depth,” using conventional engineering methods to oversee AI, while
trustworthiness seeks to directly assure AI systems. However, in complex environments,
AI-based perception is often unavoidable, requiring a balanced approach.

To reduce risks, strategies such as diversity, micro-Operational Design Domains (micro-ODDs),

and cyber-physical models help constrain AI applications (Bloomfield & Rushby, 2024). These
techniques ensure AI systems operate within defined limits, enhancing reliability. The authors
highlight that assurance principles apply across AI applications, from specialized systems to
artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Future research should explore hybrid approaches that combine traditional safeguards with
AI-specific validation methods to improve AI safety and accountability (Bloomfield & Rushby,
2024). This balance is essential for the dependable deployment of AI in critical areas.

Reference

Bloomfield, R., & Rushby, J. (2024). *Assurance of AI systems from a dependability

perspective*. arXiv preprint arXiv:2407.13948. https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.13948

References :

Learning Scientists. (2024, July 11). GUEST POST: The Benefits and Risks of ChATGPT
for Education — the Learning Scientists. The Learning Scientists.
https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2024/2/15-1

(References Jelo)

Musikanski et al. (2020) proposed artificial intelligence and community well-being as an

emerging area of research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42413-019-00054-6
Research design: planning your data collection procedures (Scribbr, 2021) YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwtxlgudc4s

Radeva, M. (2023, December 7). The Benefits and Risks of ChATGPT for Education |
Teaching Innovation & Learning Enhancement Network.
https://tile.psy.gla.ac.uk/2023/12/07/the-benefits-and-risks-of-chatgpt-for-education/

Caratiquit, K. D., & Caratiquit, L. J. C. (2023b). ChatGPT as an academic support tool on the
academic performance among students: The mediating role of learning motivation.
Journal of Social Humanity and Education, 4(1), 21–33.
https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v4i1.1558

References Kaeon
Wall Street Journal. (n.d.). There's a good chance your kid uses AI to cheat. The Wall Street
Journal. https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/chatgpt-ai-cheating-students-97075d3c
The Guardian. (2025, March 2). Students' use of AI spells death knell for critical thinking. The
Guardian.https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/02/students-use-of-ai-spells-death
-knell-for-critical-thinking

Financial Times. (2025, March 4). Students must learn to be more than mindless
'machine-minders'.
FinancialTimes.https://www.ft.com/content/82d59679-0985-4c07-9416-06a0bec6e16a

Lo, C. K. (2023). What is the impact of ChatGPT on education? A rapid review of the literature.
Education Sciences, 13(4), 410. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13040410

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
_____________________________________________________________________________
_
Methodology

Research Design & Method

-​ First, we’ll watch how students work on their assignments in real settings, like
classrooms or libraries, to see when and why they turn to ChatGPT instead of
books or websites. This observation will help us spot patterns, like if they use it
for quick answers or because they find regular research too hard. Then, we’ll talk
to a small group of students in one-on-one interviews to hear their thoughts
directly—like why they trust ChatGPT, how it saves them time, or if they feel it’s
 better than digging through lots of sources. This setup lets us get a clear picture of
their habits and reasons without just guessing.

We selected this layout because it supports our mission to learn the "why" behind
this movement towards ChatGPT. Observing students firsthand provides us with
life clues to their decisions, but interviews allow them to articulate for themselves
what may be occurring, such as whether they feel lazy, in a hurry, or simply find
AI more convenient. We'll select students from various classes and subjects so we
don't miss anything important, and we'll keep things relaxed in the interviews so
they feel at ease to open up. By seeing what we do and hearing what they have to
say, we can determine if it's the speed, ease, or possibly even a deficit of research
ability, providing us with good answers regarding how ChatGPT is transforming
the education of students.

Participants of the Study

-​ Using Google forms the researchers will ask (amount of grade 8 students) from
the grade 8 level from the faculty of EHS to answer a questionnaire providing a
Likert scale type of surveys; Mainly focusing on the use of ChatGPT and It’s
effectiveness.

Research Instrument

-​ The research questionnaire called "Students’ Reliance on ChatGPT vs. Manual

Research" is made to find out why students like using ChatGPT more than
old-school research, like reading books or searching websites. It has 10 simple
multiple-choice questions that ask how often students use ChatGPT, why they
pick it over regular research, and how it changes the way they work on school
stuff. For example, questions like "Why do you use ChatGPT instead of regular
research?" and "How does ChatGPT change your research skills?" look at things
like saving time, ease of use, and whether students think it hurts their ability to
find answers on their own. The options, like how many hours they spend or how
often they double-check ChatGPT’s answers, make it easy to see clear patterns in
their habits.

We came up with these questions by noticing how much students use AI tools like
ChatGPT nowadays and talking about how it’s faster than regular research. We
wanted questions that are easy to answer and show both the good and tricky sides
of using ChatGPT. For example, asking about time spent came from hearing
students say it’s quick, while asking about trust in answers came from worries
about depending on it too much. We used multiple-choice answers to keep it
simple and get clear results, but added "Other" spots so students could share their
 own ideas too. This way, the questionnaire is easy to understand and helps us
learn why students choose ChatGPT and how it affects their schoolwork.

Data Collection Procedure (Jelo & Lanz)

1. Define Research objectives

●​ Our research objective is to analyze how students utilize AI. We aim to ask how
many students use AI chatbots like ChatGPT and their overall dependence on
ChatGPT. With this, we could identify the average student's performance and how
ChatGPT has impacted their academic life.

2. Identify Data Sources

●​ Since we are to see how many students are using AI Chatbots, the main
participants of this Questionnaire are The students of UST-EHS (Grade 8).

3. Select Appropriate Data collection

●​ The primary method we will use is a survey questionnaire; since our questions are
opinions, they will be based on the likeness of responses or the similarities of
responses to gather data.

4. Develop Data Collection Instruments:

●​ The survey will be online, and we will utilize Google Forms to format the
questionnaire. The main questions for our survey would be more opinion-based,
and the main topic for the questionnaire is students' reliance on AI chatbots like
ChatGPT.

5. Pilot testing

●​ Our sample space would be by 2 sections of each grade level. Our sample's total
approximate number of participants is 20 - 25 students out of 80 - 90 students. We
chose to survey 20 - 25 participants only because not all students are guaranteed
to answer the survey

6. Establish Data Collection Procedures:

●​ Ensure that the questionnaire is regulated in accordance with equality, fairness,

sample size, sample method, data collection timeline, and privacy.

7. Collect Data
 ●​ Handing out the Google Form to test the participants. With the Google Form, we
intend to extract the desired data and come up with a presentation of the
conclusion for our research.

8. Analyze Data:

●​ Check if the inputs relate to the questions asked. Analyzing responses to find
relevant information for the research problem and interesting information to
remember.

9. Report Findings

●​ Tell what the students have submitted. Present a chart of the percentiles of the
answers to show the most common occurring answers and least occurring
answers, compare and contrast various inputs, and finally come to a conclusion.

Data Analysis

The study collected data from a survey of X participants. The statistics for the main
variables are presented in Table 1.

Table containing the survey results

The results indicate that there is a significant positive relationship between X and Y
(formula if applicable). Other results/findings details

Conclusion
The findings of this study suggest that X had a significantly higher mean score than the
control group (p < 0.01). Additionally, the results indicate that Age is a significant
predictor of Score (p < 0.05). These findings have implications for the development of
interventions aimed at improving outcomes.