Generative AI's Influence on High School Students' Analytical Skills in Tripoli, Libya

Abstract

This paper examines the various functions of Generative AI (GenAI) in the intellectual growth of high school students (15-18) in Tripoli, Libya, a place characterised by infrastructural constraints and a traditional background of learning. The conflict between developing analytical abilities and cognitive offloading has become acute as students turn more and more to tools like ChatGPT as a solution to the limitations in the available resources. To overcome this problem, the study employed both a quantitative survey of 80 students of both scientific-based and literary tracks and a qualitative study of 20 English teachers.

The findings demonstrate that GenAI has become a vital part of the Libyan education system as 85 percent of the respondents claimed using it weekly.Interestingly, there is no real divide when it comes to how much students feel AI helps their analytical skills - both scientific and literary reported similar benefits with no statistically significant difference between them (p =  0.31). There was a discrepancy within the disciplinary area: cognitive offloading. The results show a significant gap (p < 0.05): students in literacy showed a greater tendency to rely on AI (3.2 ± 1.0) than their scientific peers (2.5 ± 1.1).Besides, proficiency in a language and a steady internet connection were determined as major indicators of effective AI use. Teachers pointed out that AI could be used to provide assistance in generating ideas, but the advantages are conditional upon the meticulous work of the teacher, as otherwise, there is a danger of developing skills and even missing cultural values. The paper concludes that to be an authentic Vygotskian scaffold, instead of a cognitive crutch, GenAI requires the Ministry of Education to introduce specialised curriculum change and encourage metacognitive AI literacy.