Perceived effectiveness of artificial intelligence tools in enhancing undergraduate students’ research and academic writing skills

Sahrir, Muhammad Sabri and Albantani, Azkia Muharom and Md. Noor, Mohamad Lukman Al Hakim and Nordin, Mohd. Shukri (2026) Perceived effectiveness of artificial intelligence tools in enhancing undergraduate students’ research and academic writing skills. Oeil Research Journal, 24 (5). pp. 40-52. ISSN 0029-862X

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Abstract

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has emerged significantly in higher education landscape, as the undergraduate students have to employ them in their research and academic writing tasks. As such this study aims to investigate the undergraduate students’ perceptions on the potential of using AI tools to support them in conducting research and writing papers. The respondents were selected among the students taking a Research Methodology course in the Kulliyyah of Education, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in semester 1, 2025/2026 via a mixed method survey study among 39 undergraduates. The instrument used consisted of demographic items, 35 Likert-scale items and one open-ended section. An instrument with the reliability of Cronbach's alpha of .971 was adapted. The descriptive statistics and mean scores were used for analyzing quantitative data. The results showed that mean score for all items are reflecting on some degree of knowledge of among students in relation to the efficacy and efficiency of AI tools for supporting effective research, improving writing quality, idea generation, referencing support, and enhancing self-confidence. Among perceived benefits of using AI tools in research are ideas development, speed of literature research, improved review time, shorter proofread time, and quicker draft writing. But the mean scores were relatively less for plagiarism avoidance, trust in AI recommendation, and the perceived accuracy of grammar and spelling support, indicating that the students continued to be more cautious about AI as part of their use from an ethical and reliability perspective. The study overall suggests that AI tools are useful supports for undergraduate research and writing, as the institutional guidance, AI literacy, and ethical use are vital and needed.

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Artificial intelligence, academic writing, undergraduate research, AI-assisted learning, higher education, educational technology
Subjects:	L Education > L Education (General) P Language and Literature > PJ Semitic > PJ6001 Arabic
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Education > Department of Language & Literacy Kulliyyah of Education
Depositing User:	Prof Dr Muhammad Sabri Sahrir
Date Deposited:	20 May 2026 12:01
Last Modified:	20 May 2026 12:01
Queue Number:	2026-05-Q3480
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/129088

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