The effect of ChatGPT on students' learning performance, learning perception, and higher-order thinking: insights from a meta-analysis.

As a new type of artificial intelligence, ChatGPT is becoming widely used in learning. However, academic consensus regarding its efficacy remains elusive. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of ChatGPT in improving students' learning performance, learning perception, and higher-order thinki...

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Publicado en:Humanities & Social Sciences Communications Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 1 - 22
Autores principales: Wang, Jin, Fan, Wenxiang
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Springer Nature 5/6/2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        10.1057/s41599-025-04787-y
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        atl: The effect of ChatGPT on students' learning performance, learning perception, and higher-order thinking: insights from a meta-analysis.
      aug:
        au:
          Wang, Jin
          Fan, Wenxiang
        affil:
          https://ror.org/014v1mr15 Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
          https://ror.org/014v1mr15 Chinese Education Modernization Research Institute of Hangzhou Normal University (Zhejiang Provincial Key Think Tank), Hangzhou, China
      su:
        Cognitive psychology
        Artificial intelligence
        Critical thinking
        ChatGPT
        Bloom's taxonomy
        Problem-based learning
      sug:
        subj:
          Cognitive psychology
          Artificial intelligence
          Critical thinking
          ChatGPT
          Bloom's taxonomy
          Problem-based learning
      keyword: Education Curriculum and Pedagogy Specialist Studies In Education Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Psychology
      ab: As a new type of artificial intelligence, ChatGPT is becoming widely used in learning. However, academic consensus regarding its efficacy remains elusive. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of ChatGPT in improving students' learning performance, learning perception, and higher-order thinking through a meta-analysis of 51 research studies published between November 2022 and February 2025. The results indicate that ChatGPT has a large positive impact on improving learning performance (g = 0.867) and a moderately positive impact on enhancing learning perception (g = 0.456) and fostering higher-order thinking (g = 0.457). The impact of ChatGPT on learning performance was moderated by type of course (Q = 64.249, P < 0.001), learning model (Q = 76.220, P < 0.001), and duration (Q = 55.998, P < 0.001); its effect on learning perception was moderated by duration (Q = 19.839, P < 0.001); and its influence on the development of higher-order thinking was moderated by type of course (Q = 7.811, P < 0.05) and the role played by ChatGPT (Q = 4.872, P < 0.05). This study suggests that: (1) appropriate learning scaffolds or educational frameworks (e.g., Bloom's taxonomy) should be provided when using ChatGPT to develop students' higher-order thinking; (2) the broad use of ChatGPT at various grade levels and in different types of courses should be encouraged to support diverse learning needs; (3) ChatGPT should be actively integrated into different learning modes to enhance student learning, especially in problem-based learning; (4) continuous use of ChatGPT should be ensured to support student learning, with a recommended duration of 4–8 weeks for more stable effects; (5) ChatGPT should be flexibly integrated into teaching as an intelligent tutor, learning partner, and educational tool. Finally, due to the limited sample size for learning perception and higher-order thinking, and the moderately positive effect, future studies with expanded scope should further explore how to use ChatGPT more effectively to cultivate students' learning perception and higher-order thinking.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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