From effectiveness to sustainable use: understanding university students’ adoption of generative AI for academic writing through an extended UTAUT mixed-methods study

A recent study employing a mixed-methods approach with Chinese university students indicates that the sustainable use of Generative AI (GenAI) in academic writing is influenced by a range of factors beyond initial adoption. Key determinants include performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence, alongside perceived usefulness and convenience. However, ethical concerns and academic integrity significantly moderate this sustainable use, highlighting a critical tension between the benefits and responsible deployment of GenAI in educational settings.

Why it matters

This research is strategically important because it sheds light on the factors influencing the sustained adoption of emerging AI technologies in educational and professional contexts. Understanding these determinants, particularly the moderating role of ethical considerations, is crucial for developing policies and strategies that foster responsible and effective technology integration.

Key insights

• Performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence are significant positive determinants of students' sustained GenAI use for academic writing.
• Perceived usefulness and convenience are crucial drivers for students to continue using GenAI tools.
• Ethical concerns and considerations of academic integrity act as significant negative moderating factors, reducing the likelihood of sustained GenAI use.
• The study moves beyond initial technology acceptance to focus on the long-term sustainability of GenAI adoption among university students.
• A mixed-methods approach, combining an online survey of 1,084 Chinese university students with semi-structured interviews, was utilized.
• An extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model was applied to analyze quantitative relationships.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1920168