Investigating the Impact of AI-powered Learning Tools on Academic Performance and Attitudes towards AI among College of Education Students

This study investigated the influence of integrating the AI-driven tool, Magic School AI, on the teaching practices of the TECH 329 courses within the College of Education at Kuwait University. Specifically, the primary objectives were to enhance perceptions of AI's usefulness and ease of use, evaluate the impact of AI learning tools on academic    performance. Furthermore, the study sought to understand the relationships between     these variables and to determine whether perceived usefulness and ease of use of AI could predict positive attitudes toward AI. A quasi-experimental one-treatment group design was utilized, using a sample comprising 66 female students enrolled in the College of Education at Kuwait University. The findings indicated a significant impact of the AI-empowered tool (Magic School AI) on all dependent variables. Specifically, the perceived usefulness of AI and the ease of use of AI were significant predictors of positive attitudes toward AI. Students' perceptions of the impact of AI tools on their course performance were notably positive based on the mean scores. Therefore, the AI-empowered tool (Magic School AI) has a significant impact on all dependent variables. For practitioners, it is recommended to evaluate the alignment of AI tools with course objectives, consider the pedagogical implications of AI tools to explore how AI tools can enhance student engagement, motivation, and critical thinking skills, and consider different pedagogical approaches that can leverage AI tools effectively, such as personalized learning, adaptive learning, or intelligent tutoring systems.