Exploring Sociocultural Patterns in Evolving Educational Practices: Arab Students’ Use of Generative AI in Accomplishing Academic Assignments

Abstract

Recent advances in educational technology have reshaped learning practices worldwide, yet students’ engagement with these innovations remains deeply influenced by their cultural and social contexts. As tools like Generative AI become more accessible, understanding how students from different cultural backgrounds approach their use has become crucial. This study explores the sociocultural patterns shaping Arab high school students’ use of generative AI in accomplishing academic assignments - tasks that some students still perceive as a compulsory burden rather than meaningful opportunities for learning. Adopting a descriptive survey design, the study involved 450 male and female high school students from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. Data were collected using a questionnaire designed to capture five sociocultural patterns of AI use: Instrumental Pattern, Learning-Oriented Pattern, Ethically-Conscious Pattern, Dependency Pattern, and Peer-Influenced Pattern. The results revealed that the Dependency Pattern and Peer-Influenced Pattern were the most dominant among students, while the Instrumental, Learning-Oriented, and Ethically-Conscious Patterns appeared less prevalent. Paradoxically, these less common patterns are the ones most closely aligned with deeper learning and critical engagement, which underscores a disconnect between the educational potential of generative AI and how students currently perceive and use it. This suggests that many students view AI primarily as a quick shortcut or a social trend rather than as a meaningful learning tool. Such tendencies may stem from a school culture where assignments are treated as obligatory tasks to be completed rather than opportunities for intellectual growth, highlighting a cultural gap in how generative AI is integrated into learning contexts in the Arab world.