Home⇛International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research⇛vol. 6 no. 8 (2025)

Role of AI in Enhancing Critical Thinking in Science Education: Challenges and Opportunities for Science Instructor

Charlie T. Anselmo | Aisie Bete Liban | James C. Ollero | Darren T. Baui | Judith Joy S. Pascua | Yzell A. Sario

Discipline: Development Studies

 

Abstract:

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education has the poten-tial to revolutionize teaching and learning, particularly in the develop-ment of students’ critical thinking skills. This study explores science in-structors' familiarity, perceptions, and experiences with using AI to en-hance students' critical thinking skills, as well as the level of institu-tional support for AI integration in teaching. A quantitative survey was conducted among 20 science instructors from higher education institu-tions in Isabela, Philippines. The findings reveal that while instructors acknowledge AI's potential to improve educational outcomes, there is a significant gap in formal AI training and literacy among educators. Pos-itive correlations were found between AI literacy, AI integration, and critical thinking development, suggesting that as AI literacy increases, AI integration and enhancement of critical thinking skills also increase. Regression analysis identified AI integration as a significant predictor of critical thinking development. Challenges remain in the effective im-plementation of AI, including concerns about overreliance on AI-gener-ated responses and the need for clear assessment guidelines. Interest-ingly, years of teaching experience did not significantly influence par-ticipants’ AI literacy, perceptions, or integration. This study highlights the importance of developing comprehensive AI literacy programs for educators and integrating AI into curriculum structures to balance AI-enhanced learning with human-centered pedagogy. These findings em-phasize the need for thoughtful implementation and ongoing research to effectively leverage AI in promoting critical thinking skills in science education.



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