CAN CHATBOTS IMPROVE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SKILLS?

Abstract

The integration of chatbots in higher education has shown promising potential to support the development of students' scientific research skills. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an AI chatbot intervention designed to enhance college students’ scientific research skills. A quasi-experimental research design was employed involving 41 college students enrolled in Research Methodology at College of Science and Humanities, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, KSA. Participants completed a standardized scientific research skills test before and after an 11-week intervention using Perplexity. Using pretest-posttest measures complemented by systematic observational data, the study identified significant improvements in research capabilities post-intervention (t = 21.8, p< .001). Observations highlighted challenges such as formulating precise queries and over-reliance on chatbot responses, which diminished over the intervention period, indicating growing learner autonomy. The chatbot facilitated critical research processes, including literature searching, hypothesis formulation, and data analysis, contributing to improved student confidence and engagement. These findings underscore AI chatbots’ potential as effective educational tools that scaffold complex analytical skills. The study recommends further development of chatbot functionalities and user training to mitigate observed challenges and maximize research skills development within academic curricula.