The Role of AI Technology in Enhancing Learning Outcomes of University Students: A Case Study of Ghana Communication Technology University (GCTU)
Ethel Yiranbon Annor – Tenkorang 
, Dale Dela K. Akpakli & Felix Amoako Boateng
Issue: Vol.6 No. 8 2025 Article 9 pp.629 – 641
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2025689 | Published online 28th August, 2025.
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Using artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education has made learning more enjoyable by allowing personal instruction and adaptive learning. However, studies on its deployment in higher education in Ghana remain limited. This study sought to understand how the use of AI technology influences student engagement and performance at the Ghana Communication Technology University (GCTU). Data was obtained by using a descriptive survey design from 185 students through structured questionnaires. The researchers performed a Pearson correlation analysis and linear regression to determine the impact of AI technology integration on student academic aptitude. The study revealed that there is a positive correlation between the integration of AI tech and student engagement, meaning students are more engaged in their studies when AI-driven learning methods are employed. Nevertheless, while integration with AI was able to boost academic performance, the effect was relatively weak, suggesting that the presence of AI on its own does not make such a significant difference to academic success. This study recommends faculty training, AI literacy courses for students, policy frameworks towards AI’s adoption in education. Optimising AI integration in these areas can result in improved student engagement and academic performance while addressing issues of overreliance and ethical questions present in the case of GCTU and other similar institutions. The research will contribute empirical evidence to inform strategic decision-making on educational technology investments by providing insights into the relationship between the use of AI technology and learning outcomes at GCTU.
Keywords: AI Technology Integration, Student Engagement, Academic Performance, Ghana
Abdullah, Fazil, and Rupert Ward. “Developing a General Extended Technology Acceptance Model for E-Learning (GETAMEL) by Analysing Commonly Used External Factors.” Computers in Human Behavior 56 (March 2016): 238–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.11.036.
Baillifard, Ambroise, Maxime Gabella, Pamela Banta Lavenex, and Corinna S Martarelli. “Implementing Learning Principles with a Personal AI Tutor: A Case Study.” ArXiv Preprint ArXiv:2309.13060, 2023.
Bryman, A. Social Research Methods. Oxford University Press, 2016.
Buabeng-Andoh, Charles. “ICT Implementation and Practices: Factors Influencing Students’ Pedagogical Use of ICT in Ghanaian Secondary Schools.” International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education (IJICTE) 11, no. 2 (2015): 1–13.
Cao, Cassie Chen, Zijian Ding, Jionghao Lin, and Frank Hopfgartner. “AI Chatbots as Multi-Role Pedagogical Agents: Transforming Engagement in CS Education.” ArXiv Preprint ArXiv:2308.03992, 2023.
Castillo-Merino, David, and Enric Serradell-López. “An Analysis of the Determinants of Students’ Performance in e-Learning.” Computers in Human Behavior 30 (January 2014): 476–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.06.020.
Cochran, W.G. Sampling Techniques. 3rd ed. New York: Wiley, 2011.
Consoli, Tessa, Maria-Luisa Schmitz, Chiara Antonietti, Philipp Gonon, Alberto Cattaneo, and Dominik Petko. “Quality of Technology Integration Matters: Positive Associations with Students’ Behavioral Engagement and Digital Competencies for Learning.” Education and Information Technologies, 2024, 1–34.
Creswell, John W. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2014.
Davis, Fred D. “Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology.” MIS Quarterly 13, no. 3 (September 1989): 319. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008.
DeVellis, Robert F., and Christine T. Thorpe. Scale Development: Theory and Applications. Sage Publications, 2021.
Ezeoguine, Ebere Pearl, and Stella Eteng-Uket. “Artificial Intelligence Tools and Higher Education Student’s Engagement.” Edukasiana: Jurnal Inovasi Pendidikan 3, no. 3 (2024): 300–312.
Fowler, F. J. Survey Research Methods . 5th ed. SAGE, 2014.
Gao, Ziyi, Jun-Hwa Cheah, Xin-Jean Lim, and Xi Luo. “Enhancing Academic Performance of Business Students Using Generative AI: An Interactive-Constructive-Active-Passive (ICAP) Self-Determination Perspective.” The International Journal of Management Education 22, no. 2 (2024): 100958.
Grace, E. G., P. Vidhyavathi, and P. Malathi. “A Study on AI in Education: Opportunities and Challenges for Personalised Learning.”Industrial Engineering Journal 52, no. 5 (2023): 750–59.
Groves, Robert M, Floyd J Fowler Jr, Mick P Couper, James M Lepkowski, Eleanor Singer, and Roger Tourangeau. Survey Methodology. John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
Gyamfi, Stephen Adu. “Informal Tools in Formal Context: Adoption of Web 2.0 Technologies among Geography Student Teachers in Ghana.” International Journal of Education and Development Using ICT 13, no. 3 (2017).
Henrie, Curtis R., Lisa R. Halverson, and Charles R. Graham. “Measuring Student Engagement in Technology-Mediated Learning: A Review.” Computers & Education 90 (December 2015): 36–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.09.005.
Holmes, Wayne, Maya Bialik, and Charles Fadel. Artificial Intelligence in Education Promises and Implications for Teaching and Learning. Center for Curriculum Redesign, 2019.
Jegede, Olusegun Oladele. “Artificial Intelligence and English Language Learning: Exploring the Roles of AI-Driven Tools in Personalizing Learning and Providing Instant Feedback.” Universal Library of Languages and Literatures 1, no. 2 (2024).
Kim, Byungchan, Hyunjin Suh, Joonhwan Heo, and Yoomin Choi. “AI-Driven Interface Design for Intelligent Tutoring Systems Improves Student Engagement.” ArXiv Preprint , 2020.
Ko, Jang Wan, Sumee Park, Hyun Sook Yu, Seon-Joo Kim, and Dong Min Kim. “The Structural Relationship Between Student Engagement and Learning Outcomes in Korea.” The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher 25, no. 1 (February 10, 2016): 147–57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-015-0245-2.
Manu, Joshua, Richard Ampomah, Kwame Ohene Akyina, and Samuel Antwi. “Education and Technology in Ghana: Understanding the Centrality of Technology Integration in the Classroom and Beyond.” American Journal of Educational Research 12, no. 10 (2024): 402–12.
Ministry of Education, Ghana. Education Strategic Plan 2018-2030. Accra: Government of Ghana, 2020.
Mugenda, Olive Mwihaki, and Abel Gitau Mugenda. Research Methods: Quantitative & Qualitative Apporaches. Vol. 2. Acts press Nairobi, 2003.
Nguyen, L., T. Tran, and P. Dao. “Exploring the Dynamics of Power in Educational Institutions: A Case Study of Large Class Settings.” Journal of Educational Administration 61, no. 3 (2023): 160–73.
Obiri-Yeboah, Kwabena, Collins Fosu, and Roderick Kyere-Djan. “Exploring the Trend of ICT Adoption in Tertiary Institutions in Ghana: A Case Study at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).” In Information and Knowledge Management, 3:44–52, 2013.
Pagell, Ruth A., and Edward J. Lusk. “Benchmarking Academic Business School Libraries Relative to Their Business School Rankings.” Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship 7, no. 4 (June 2002): 3–33. https://doi.org/10.1300/J109v07n04_02.
Rajabalee, Banoor Yousra, Mohammad Issack Santally, and Frank Rennie. “A Study of the Relationship between Students’ Engagement and Their Academic Performances in an ELearning Environment.” E-Learning and Digital Media 17, no. 1 (January 17, 2020): 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042753019882567.
Rashid, Tabassum, and Hanan Muhammad Asghar. “Technology Use, Self-Directed Learning, Student Engagement and Academic Performance: Examining the Interrelations.” Computers in Human Behavior 63 (October 2016): 604–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.084.
Sajib, Md. Sahadat Hossen. “Determining Factors and Correlation of Factors Influential for Student Engagement.” In 15th International Conference on Computing Communication and Networking Technologies (ICCCNT), 1–6. IEEE, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCCNT61001.2024.10724770.
Saunders, Mark N. K, Philip Lewis, and Adrian Thornhill. Research Methods for Business Students. 8th ed. New York: Pearson, 2019.
Schaik, Paul Van, Josette A Bettany-Saltikov, and J G Warren. “Clinical Acceptance of a Low-Cost Portable System for Postural Assessment.” Behaviour & Information Technology 21, no. 1 (2002): 47–57.
Siddiq, Fazilat, and Ronny Scherer. “Is There a Gender Gap? A Meta-Analysis of the Gender Differences in Students’ ICT Literacy.” Educational Research Review 27 (June 2019): 205–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2019.03.007.
Teo, Timothy. “Factors Influencing Teachers’ Intention to Use Technology: Model Development and Test.” Computers & Education 57, no. 4 (2011): 2432–40.
Thomas, Danielle R, Jionghao Lin, Erin Gatz, Ashish Gurung, Shivang Gupta, Kole Norberg, Stephen E Fancsali, Vincent Aleven, Lee Branstetter, and Emma Brunskill. “Improving Student Learning with Hybrid Human-AI Tutoring: A Three-Study Quasi-Experimental Investigation.” In Proceedings of the 14th Learning Analytics and Knowledge Conference, 404–15, 2024.
Venkatesh, Viswanath, and Fred D. Davis. “A Theoretical Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model: Four Longitudinal Field Studies.” Management Science 46, no. 2 (February 2000): 186–204. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.46.2.186.11926.
Wecks, Janik Ole, Johannes Voshaar, Benedikt Jost Plate, and Jochen Zimmermann. “Generative AI Usage and Exam Performance.” ArXiv Preprint ArXiv:2404.19699, 2024.
Zawacki-Richter, Olaf, Victoria I Marín, Melissa Bond, and Franziska Gouverneur. “Systematic Review of Research on Artificial Intelligence Applications in Higher Education–Where Are the Educators?” International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 16, no. 1 (2019): 1–27.
Zheng, Binbin, Mark Warschauer, Chin-Hsi Lin, and Chi Chang. “Learning in One-to-One Laptop Environments.” Review of Educational Research 86, no. 4 (December 10, 2016): 1052–84. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316628645.
Dr. Ethel Yiranbon Annor-Tenkorang is a Senior Lecturer and Management policy analyst with 9 years of research and Teaching experience in Higher education. She has authored and co-authored 31 peer-reviewed publications and supervised over 60 postgraduate and undergraduate thesis and projects. Her research interests include Management, Human Resource Development, Leadership and Healthcare Technology.
Dale Dela Akpakli is a faculty member (with over 5 years of experience) at Ghana Communication Technology University and a PhD student at the University of Ghana Business School. His research interests include Sustainable/Green HRM Practices and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in HRM. Dale has previously been involved in coordinating human resource management training and management consultancy in both the public and private sectors, including donor agencies.
Felix Amoako Boateng is a research consultant and data analyst with over 5 years of experience in research and excels in diverse academic disciplines. His research interest is in artificial intelligence and project management. Felix is dedicated to making meaningful contributions and always stays abreast of the latest developments, leaving a positive impact on the academic community.
Annor – Tenkorang, Ethel Yiranbon, Dale Dela K. Akpakli and Felix Amoako Boateng. “The Role of AI Technology in Enhancing Learning Outcomes of University Students: A Case Study of Ghana Communication Technology University (GCTU).” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 6, no. 8 (2025): 629 -641. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2025689.
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Featured