LSST Birmingham Academics Publish Cross-National Study on Student Perceptions of AI and Employability

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LSST is proud to announce the publication of an important cross-national study exploring student perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots and the implications for educational gain frameworks and graduate employability in higher education. The article – Student Perception of AI Use in Education: Implications for Educational Gain Frameworks and Employability – is published in the prestigious International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) and brings together expert scholars from LSST’s Birmingham campus.

 

“This research exemplifies LSST’s enduring commitment to research-informed teaching and the centrality of student voice to academic innovation in the era of AI,” said Mr Ali Jafar Zaidi, LSST’s CEO. “Our students must be equipped to harness digital technologies wisely; this study provides actionable insight for a wide range of academic and industry stakeholders.”

 

“This cross-national study offers lucid and evidence-based counsel about balancing AI’s affordances with academic integrity,” emphasised Charlie Tennant, LSST’s Vice Principal. “We are proud that LSST academic researchers are contributing to an international conversation that will shape how our graduates work and learn.”

  

A rigorous and mixed-methods enquiry

The multi-author study adopts a cross-sectional, mixed-methods design, surveying over 88 students in the United Kingdom and Nigeria to interrogate both quantitative patterns and qualitative nuance. Its findings are salient for policymakers and practitioners alike: while many students appreciate the accessibility and idea-generation afforded by AI chatbots, concerns remain about accuracy and the potential impact on learning engagement. The authors emphasised the need to contextualise AI tools within higher education institutional policy, integrity safeguards and also curriculum design.

 

LSST authorship and insights

 

 Among the LSST contributors are:

 

• Dr Odoligie Imarhiagbe – Course Coordinator, Module Lead and Senior Lecturer in Health and Social Sciences, LSST Birmingham.

 

• Dr Maryam Idris-Usman – Research Centre Coordinator and Academic Team Leader, LSST

 

• Dr Michael Olusegun Demehin – Course Coordinator, Module Lead and Senior Lecturer in Health and Social Sciences, LSST

 

• Bala Pokuboye-Amakiri – Module Lead, Lecturer in Health and Social Sciences, LSST Birmingham.

 

“Globally, artificial intelligence chatbots have found valuable applications in multiple sectors, including education, where they provide a personalised learning approach to students,” said

Dr Odoligie Imarhiagbe, Course Coordinator, Module Lead and Senior Lecturer in Health and Social Sciences, LSST Birmingham. “Our study examines the AI challenges students face in education, as well as its potential to support the EGF and enhance employability. It also underscores concerns about insufficient training on the ethical implications of AI use, which is essential for promoting AI-enhanced learning while safeguarding integrity.

According to Dr Maryam Idris-Usman, Research Centre Coordinator and Academic Team Leader at LSST Birmingham, who co-authored the paper, the research “offers insights on how students view the role of AI in their educational experiences, offering valuable implications for educators and policymakers alike.”

Dr Michael Olusegun Demehin, Course Coordinator, Module Lead and Senior Lecturer in Health and Social Sciences, LSST Birmingham, and co-author, added: “The study, through a comparative analysis, explores the perception of students in AI usage. Through a full review and first-hand primary data, the study established the importance of the knowledge of AI to educational gain and employability.”

Bala Pokuboye-Amakiri, Module Lead, Lecturer in Health and Social Sciences, LSST Birmingham, added. “This research enhances educational outcomes by providing students with in-depth knowledge about the ethical application of AI in education. Ultimately, this contributes to improved employability and global learning achievements, benefiting all key stakeholders in the education sector.”

 

Key findings

“One of the significant insights drawn from this excellent study was that a notable proportion of respondents reported awareness of institutional policies surrounding AI” outlined Mr Mohsin Riaz, Dean of LSST Birmingham. “However, the research revealed clear national variations in this awareness, with students from different contexts showing differing levels of familiarity and engagement with policy frameworks. This finding highlights the importance of embedding AI guidance within a wider educational strategy, ensuring consistency across institutions.”

“The research reveals a nuanced perception of AI’s benefits and challenges. On the positive side, students pointed to advantages such as improved time management, greater clarity and guidance in their work, enhanced accessibility, and the generation of new ideas,” added Syed Rizvi, Academic Dean of LSST Elephant & Castle and LSST Stratford and Dean of Learning and Teaching. “Yet these opportunities were tempered by concerns about the reliability and accuracy of AI outputs, the lack of depth in responses and even the potential impact on meaningful engagement with study material. These reservations underline the need for critical oversight and academic scaffolding in the use of AI technologies.”

Finally, the paper’s authors argue persuasively for AI deployment that is not merely pragmatic but also ethically grounded and pedagogically integrated. They contend that students must be supported to become technologically literate while retaining the capacity for independent and critical reflection. This dual focus ensures that AI is used as a complement to, rather than a substitute for, the intellectual rigour and creativity demanded in higher education and the workplace.

 

Read the full paper

LSST’s academic community and researchers are invited to consult the full article for methodological detail, survey results and recommendations here.

 

Related LSST News

LSST Wembley Academic to Present AI and Ethics Research at Oxford University Conference

LSST Elephant and Castle Business Lecturers Herald Pioneering Research on Generative AI and Hybrid Service-Learning

The Era of Generative AI: What now?

 

For additional information or interviews with the authors, please direct questions to LSST’s Public Relations Manager via kunal.mehta@lsst.ac.

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