AI teaching assistants reduce student motivation in Turkish high schools

A new professional development course is being offered to high‑school educators, instructional coaches and administrators to help them integrate artificial‑intelligence tools into classroom instruction while safeguarding academic integrity. The program emphasizes strategies for responsible AI use, policy design, and methods to prevent plagiarism and misuse.

In a randomized field experiment conducted in Turkey, 193 teachers across a private school chain used a customized ChatGPT‑based teaching assistant aligned with the national curriculum for ten weeks. Compared with control teachers, those with the AI tool produced lecture notes, assignments and exams more quickly, but their students reported significantly lower enjoyment, interest and perceived importance of the classes. The decline in intrinsic motivation was especially marked among students whose teachers had previously used AI frequently. Overall academic achievement remained stable, yet students taught by weaker teachers showed lower scores on external standardized exams and reduced confidence. Researchers suggested that teacher training, guardrails and improved interface design are needed to ensure AI augments rather than replaces human instructional judgment.