article · Multidisciplinary Science Journal
A study of 143 secondary school students in Essaouira examined how learners perceive the use of artificial intelligence in earth sciences education. More than 90 percent of surveyed pupils aged 12 to 16 reported familiarity with artificial intelligence, using ChatGPT most frequently. Pupils viewed artificial intelligence positively, noting that it assists in solving complex problems and supports independent study habits. Despite these benefits, adoption faces distinct hurdles. Pedagogical barriers include tools being overly abstract and poorly aligned with current curriculum requirements. Material obstacles involve restricted internet connectivity and subscription paywalls, while student-related issues include low trust in generated answers and a preference for hands-on learning methods. Addressing these challenges requires targeted teacher training programmes, critical digital literacy initiatives, and learning materials designed specifically for the local educational environment.
Understanding how school pupils interact with artificial intelligence is vital for modernising science education. Identifying specific hurdles, such as curriculum misalignment, connectivity issues, and skepticism toward automated answers, allows education authorities and software developers to design relevant learning interventions rather than relying on generic, ill-fitting digital tools.
Educational technology developers and curriculum designers could use these findings to build offline-capable, curriculum-aligned artificial intelligence tools tailored for secondary school science. The research represents early-stage diagnostic evidence based on student feedback, indicating that commercial products need to address specific infrastructure limits and trust gaps before achieving sustainable classroom uptake.
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This study analyses students' perception of the usefulness of artificial intelligence (AI) in overcoming conceptual barriers in the teaching of earth sciences in Moroccan secondary schools, with the aim of improving understanding, motivation, and overall engagement in the learning process. This research explores the opportunities offered by AI and the various obstacles that hinder its effective integration into teaching practices. A quantitative methodological approach was adopted to achieve this objective. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was designed and validated through expert reviews and exploratory pretests. The questionnaire was distributed to 143 lower and upper secondary school pupils in the city of Essaouira during the 2024/2025 academic year. The sample comprised pupils aged 12–16 years from four state schools, representing both the lower and upper secondary levels. Statistical analysis, including Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for internal reliability, provided detailed insights into prior exposure, usage habits, and perceptions of AI in education. The results indicate a remarkably high level of familiarity with AI technologies (>90%), with ChatGPT emerging as the main tool used by students. Furthermore, the results reveal an overall positive perception regarding the impact of AI on academic performance, particularly in facilitating the resolution of complex problems and fostering independent learning habits. Nevertheless, several significant barriers were identified and categorized into three main dimensions: pedagogical (notably the tools’ abstract nature and the disconnect from current curriculum requirements), material (such as limited internet access and premium paywalls), and learner-related (including a marked preference for hands-on approaches and limited trust in AI-generated responses). These findings highlight the crucial importance of designing tailored teacher training programs, fostering critical digital literacy, and developing context-appropriate teaching resources to ensure that the adoption of AI becomes a significant and sustainable driver of educational innovation in the Moroccan context.
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DOI: 10.31893/multiscience.2027295
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