A Review of ChatGPT Use in Higher Education: Motivations. Usage Patterns, and Academic Impacts
5th International Congress on Scientific Advances, Ankara, Türkiye, 24 - 27 Aralık 2025, ss.370-379, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
- Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
- Basıldığı Şehir: Ankara
- Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.370-379
- Maltepe Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Abstract: This review examines the motivations, usage
patterns, and academic outcomes associated with ChatGPT use in higher education
by synthesizing findings from recent empirical and conceptual studies. The
rapid adoption of ChatGPT has reshaped how university students approach
learning, writing, research, and problem-solving activities, leading to notable
shifts in academic practices. The literature indicates that students most
frequently rely on ChatGPT for content generation, text revision, writing assistance,
information retrieval, and practical guidance during coursework. Increased use
is largely driven by academic workload, time pressure, demanding assessment
schedules, and stress experienced throughout learning processes. However,
research also highlights several potential risks uncritical or excessive
reliance may reduce learning depth, undermine cognitive engagement, increase
procrastination, and shift responsibility for sense-making from the learner to
the system. In contrast, intentional and ethically guided use is associated
with improvements in coherence, linguistic accuracy, fluency, clarity, and
overall writing quality. Students writing in English as a second language
particularly benefit from enhanced academic tone, vocabulary precision, and
genre awareness. Beyond writing, some studies emphasize the role of ChatGPT in
fostering academic confidence, supporting idea development, and facilitating
personalized learning, while others caution that unequal access, lack of
digital literacy, and unelear institutional policies may limit effective use.
By integrating these convergent and divergent findings, this review provides a
balanced perspective on the role of generative Al in higher education. The
purpose of the study is to clarify how ChatGPT shapes academic behaviors,
identify factors that influence its adoption. and outline key implications for
learning practices, academic integrity, and student-agency. This review also
highlights the need for future research addressing long-term learning outcomes,
ethical frameworks, and pedagogical strategies that support responsible
Al-mediated academic work.
Keywords: ChatGPT: Higher Education: Academic Writing