The effect of artificial intelligence-supported instruction on primary school students' attitudes, motivation, and anxiety levels toward science education

This study was conducted to examine the effect of artificial intelligence-supported teaching applications on the motivation, attitudes, and anxiety levels of fourth-grade primary school students towards science lessons. The study was conducted using quantitative methods and employed a single-group pre-test–post-test design. The study group consisted of 20 fourth-grade students enrolled in a state primary school located in a rural area of the Southeast Anatolia Region during the 2024–2025 academic year. During the data collection process, the Science Learning Motivation Scale, the Science Attitude Scale, and the Science Learning Anxiety Scale were used; the obtained data were evaluated using the SPSS 26 programme with a dependent samples t-test and Cohen's d analysis. The analyses revealed that d = 1.23 for motivation, d = 1.34 for attitude, and d = 1.53 for anxiety, all of which were found to be at the 'very large effect' level. During the implementation process, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot tools were actively used; these tools served as guides in concept explanations, visual content production, question preparation, and educational activities. These applications, which increased students' interest in the course, contributed to the development of positive attitudes, and reduced anxiety levels toward science courses, demonstrate that artificial intelligence technologies can create strong and meaningful effects on affective learning.