Strengthening students’ research efficacy in higher institutions. A joint mediating effect of the impact of Artificial intelligence using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM)

Research efficacy is a vital contributor to enhancing research productivity within higher education institutions. Despite its importance, there has been limited focus on understanding this construct and its enablers. This study addresses this gap by exploring research efficacy through the lens of artificial intelligence (AI) utilization among students. The findings reveal that AI utilization has a significant positive impact on various dimensions of research efficacy, including background, review, methodological, analytical, and reporting efficacy. Additionally, review efficacy is shown to significantly influence background, methodological, and reporting efficacy, while it does not impact analytical efficacy. Furthermore, both background and review efficacy play crucial mediating roles between AI utilization and methodological and analytical efficacy. This study highlights the necessity of a solid foundational understanding of research practices to enable informed decision-making and enhance overall research outcomes. The implications of these findings for improving research efficacy in higher education are thoroughly discussed. © 2024 The Authors