UTILISATION OF AI TOOLS FOR RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION IN UNIVERSITIES IN KWARA STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the perceptions of business educators and students on the utilisation of artificial intelligence tools for research in Business and Entrepreneurship Education in universities in Kwara State. Descriptive survey design was adopted with population of 283 (16 Educators and 267 students). The entire 16 Business Educators and 131 sampled students were used, giving 147 respondents. Data were collected using a questionnaire validated by two experts and yielded a Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.803. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer research questions, while independent samples t-test was employed to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level. The findings showed that generative and content AI tools were use at a high extent (Mean = 3.43), academic writing and editing tools were also to a high extent utilised (Mean = 3.27), to a high extent. reference, citation and academic integrity tools were employed (Mean = 3.39). Respondents agreed that there are challenges affecting utilisation (Mean = 3.93). Findings further revealed that there was no significant difference between business educators and students on generative and content tools (t145 = -0.725, p = 0.470), academic writing and editing tools (t145 = -0.273, p = 0.785), and reference, citation and integrity tools (t145= -0.097, p = 0.923) leading to acceptance of H01, H02 and H03, while H04 was rejected because a significant difference existed on challenges (t145 = -2.167, p = 0.032). Based on these results, it was concluded that AI tools were moderately utilised for research and recommended that workshops, seminars and conferences be organised by university management, ABEN and other stakeholders on effective AI utilisation, while AI hubs and adequate technical facilities should be provided.