Research Article
An Empirical Study on the Impact of AI Use on Undergraduate Students' Critical Thinking
Issue:
Volume 15, Issue 5, October 2026
Pages:
107-119
Received:
11 July 2026
Accepted:
25 August 2026
Published:
4 September 2026
Abstract: With the widespread adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) across higher education, how AI tools shape students’ Critical Thinking has emerged as a prominent research focus in academia. Adopting random sampling at University S, this study distributed questionnaires to survey generative AI use among 101 undergraduates, exploring group discrepancies in AI Use Behaviors, Attitudes and Perceived Evaluation across gender, grade, and broad disciplinary categories. Critical Thinking Disposition and Skill levels were measured via standardized CT Thinking Tests. Statistical analyses including descriptive statistics, difference tests with post-hoc multiple comparisons, correlation analysis and regression analysis were conducted in SPSS 25.0 to quantify the predictive effects of AI Use on Critical Thinking. Empirical results demonstrate that AIA exert the strongest significant predictive effect on undergraduates’ CT Disposition, whereas tangible improvements in CT Skills demand structured, systematic training regimes. This research concludes that student AI use yields notable impacts on Critical Thinking-related mindsets and cognitive patterns, with effects concentrated predominantly on dispositional facets. Whether generative AI empowers or undermines undergraduates’ Critical Thinking is not an inherent property of the technology itself. Instead, outcomes are primarily contingent on user attitudes, and partially governed by interactive dynamics stemming from individual student heterogeneity and other contextual factors.
Abstract: With the widespread adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) across higher education, how AI tools shape students’ Critical Thinking has emerged as a prominent research focus in academia. Adopting random sampling at University S, this study distributed questionnaires to survey generative AI use among 101 undergraduates, exploring group ...
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Research Article
Parental Disciplinary Practices and Psychological
Well-Being Among Pre-Primary Learners in Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya
Erastus Catherine Ndago*,
Hannah Wanjiku Kanga’ra
,
Charles Kiptum,
Joachim Njagi
Issue:
Volume 15, Issue 5, October 2026
Pages:
120-135
Received:
10 August 2026
Accepted:
20 August 2026
Published:
9 September 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.pbs.20261505.12
Downloads:
Views:
Abstract: Psychological well-being during early childhood constitutes a critical foundation for children's cognitive, emotional and social development, yet increasing evidence indicates that many young learners experience emotional and behavioural difficulties linked to family environments and parenting practices. Despite extensive international research on parenting styles, empirical evidence examining the influence of parental disciplinary practices on the psychological well-being of pre-primary learners within Sub-Saharan Africa remains limited. This study examined the influence of parental disciplinary practices on the psychological well-being of learners attending public pre-primary schools in Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory and Ecological Systems Theory, the study adopted a correlational cross-sectional survey design embedded within a convergent mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were obtained from teachers using structured questionnaires and learner observational checklists, while qualitative data were collected through interviews with parents to provide contextual understanding of disciplinary practices. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and Chi-square analyses were employed to analyze quantitative data, whereas qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that permissive and authoritative disciplinary practices were the most prevalent parenting approaches observed among learners. Although the overall association between parental disciplinary practices and learners' psychological well-being was not statistically significant, authoritative and democratic disciplinary practices demonstrated positive relationships with self-esteem, emotional regulation, and social competence, whereas authoritarian practices were negatively associated with children's anxiety management. Qualitative findings further indicated that supportive guidance, parent-child communication and participatory decision-making promoted children's emotional confidence, while punitive disciplinary approaches were perceived to undermine emotional security. The study concludes that disciplinary practices do not influence children's psychological well-being uniformly; rather, specific disciplinary approaches differentially shape particular dimensions of psychological functioning. The findings contribute context-specific evidence to the growing literature on parenting and child mental health in low- and middle-income countries and underscore the importance of promoting positive parenting interventions that emphasize warmth, communication and developmentally appropriate discipline within early childhood education.
Abstract: Psychological well-being during early childhood constitutes a critical foundation for children's cognitive, emotional and social development, yet increasing evidence indicates that many young learners experience emotional and behavioural difficulties linked to family environments and parenting practices. Despite extensive international research on ...
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