DEVELOPMENT AND RELATIONSHIP OF CREATIVE SELF-EFFICACY AND COGNITIVE LOAD IN AI-SUPPORTED LEARNING CONTEXTS

Background: AI-supported learning environments may enhance creative self-efficacy (CSE) by providing scaffolded learning experiences that are gradually withdrawn as learners gain competence. Such scaffolding may also help regulate cognitive load (CL) during complex tasks.
Aims: This study examines how CSE develops over time and how it relates to CL among adolescents participating in a three-week AI-supported learning programme.
Methods: Specifically, we examined 243 observations across repeated measurements from 13 male Australian secondary school students. Students worked in small groups to construct a Mars Rover while receiving scaffolded support from an AI-based vision analytics tool that interprets and analyses visual information in real time. A repeated-measures design was used to track changes in CSE and CL across lessons. Furthermore, qualitative video-analysis were conducted to gain a better understanding of students’ AI interaction in this AI supported learning programme.
Results: Students reported a significant increase in CSE over the course of the AI supported learning programme. Although CSE was positively associated with CL, contrary to previous research, this relationship weakened over time.
Conclusion: This study contributes to the growing literature on AI-supported learning environments by demonstrating that scaffolded AI tools can foster CSE in adolescents over a short period. The findings also suggest that AI-supported learning environments may play a role in shaping how learners experience CL as they gain confidence and familiarity with complex tasks. Such environments could be integrated into broader curricula and implemented over longer periods to support the development of students’ CSE.