885 university students in Jordan “generally viewed AI use for tasks such as translation, literature reviews, and exam preparation as ethically acceptable, whereas using AI to cheat or fully complete assignments was widely regarded as unacceptable.”
Check out the latest article in the International Journal for Educational Integrity by Marwa M. Alnsour, Hamzeh Almomani, Latifa Qouzah, Mohammad Q.M. Momani, Rasha A. Alamoush & Mahmoud K. AL-Omiri, “Artificial intelligence usage and ethical concerns among Jordanian University students: a cross-sectional study“.
Synopsis
This cross-sectional study examined artificial intelligence usage patterns and ethical awareness among 885 higher education students across various disciplines. Findings showed how Jordanian university students engage with AI tools like ChatGPT in their academic work.
Key Findings
High AI Adoption: A substantial 78.1% of students reported using AI during their studies, with approximately half using it weekly or daily. ChatGPT emerged as the most popular tool (85.2%), primarily used for answering academic questions (53.9%) and completing assignments (46.4%).
Knowledge Gaps: Although 57.5% considered themselves moderately to very knowledgeable about AI, only 44% were familiar with ethical guidelines. Notably, 41.8% were completely unaware of principles guiding AI use, revealing a significant gap between usage and ethical understanding.
Disciplinary Differences: Science and engineering students demonstrated the highest usage rates and knowledge levels, while humanities students showed lower engagement but expressed the strongest interest in training. Health sciences students displayed greater ethical concerns, possibly reflecting the high-stakes nature of their field.
Ethical Perceptions: Students generally viewed AI use for translation, proofreading, literature reviews, and exam preparation as acceptable. However, 39.8% had witnessed unethical AI use, primarily involving cheating or total dependence on AI. Only 35% expressed concern about ethical implications, suggesting many may not fully recognize potential risks.
Demographic Patterns: Female students demonstrated higher ethical awareness than males. Older students and those in advanced programs (particularly PhD students) showed greater AI knowledge and ethical consciousness, with each additional year of age correlating with increased awareness scores.
Training Needs: More than three quarters (76.7%) of students expressed interest in professional training on ethical AI use, with 83.7% agreeing that guidance is necessary. However, 46.6% indicated their institutions had not provided adequate support (which should surprise exactly no one, since similar findings have been found in other studies.)
Implications
The author call for Jordanian universities to develop clear, discipline-specific ethical guidelines and structured training programs. The researchers recommend implementing mandatory online modules, discipline-tailored workshops, and establishing dedicated AI ethics bodies to promote responsible use. These findings underscore the broader challenge facing higher education globally: ensuring students can leverage AI’s benefits while maintaining academic integrity and developing critical thinking skills.
______________
Share this post: AI Use and Ethics Among Jordanian University Students https://drsaraheaton.com/2025/11/19/ai-use-and-ethics-among-jordanian-university-students/
Sarah Elaine Eaton, PhD, is a Professor and Research Chair in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary, Canada. Opinions are my own and do not represent those of my employer.
Learning, Teaching and Leadership 
You must be logged in to post a comment.