Students’ Motivation and Perceptions in an AI Chatbot-based Climate Change Classroom

This study investigated students’ motivation levels and their perceptions of AI chatbot-enhanced instruction for improving knowledge of climate change. A total of 59 sophomores majoring in teacher education volunteered for this four-week study. We utilized the survey of the ARCS motivation model and conducted focus-group interviews to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The findings revealed that students exhibited positive motivation in their interactions with AI chatbots, specifically in terms of attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction when learning the climate change unit. Future research endeavors could further explore students’ psychological transformations throughout the learning process and their learning performance within AI-empowered contexts.