ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A STUDY ON ITS IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ SELF–DIRECTED LEARNING AND CRITICAL THINKING

Artificial intelligence in higher education is emerging as a global trend and is becoming increasingly prevalent in Vietnam, particularly in the context of the country’s ongoing efforts to advance digital transformation in education and to implement comprehensive and fundamental reforms in the education and training system. This study approaches the impact of artificial intelligence on students’ self–directed learning processes and critical thinking capacities by drawing on Anthony Giddens’s structuration theory, in combination with Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital. Employing both qualitative and quantitative research methods, the article examines the current state of AI usage among university students and seeks to evaluate both the positive and negative impacts of AI on these two essential learning competencies. Based on empirical findings, the study proposes several recommendations and implications for regulating the use of AI in a manner that enhances the effectiveness of higher education within the context of Vietnam’s ongoing digital transformation.