ChatGPT in Political Education

A Comparative Study of Student and Faculty Perspectives

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/1947-9417/19336

Keywords:

artificial intelligence (AI), ChatGPT, international politics, higher education

Abstract

This mixed-methods study explores the credibility of responses generated by artificial intelligence (AI) in facilitating the learning of international politics by comparing students’ and faculty’s perspectives on using ChatGPT to learn international politics. A total of 207 students and five faculty members were recruited in this study. Results from sentiment analysis indicate that students usually trust ChatGPT as a credible source of information. They also consider it an effective tool for understanding complex political concepts. However, findings of thematic analysis show that faculty highlight significant limitations of using ChatGPT for learning international politics. These experts discuss a lack of depth in AI-generated responses, potential ideological biases, and insufficient critical analysis of nuanced issues. These differences indicate the need for cautious integration of AI tools in learning international politics. Overall, the findings suggest that while ChatGPT can serve as a valuable supplementary resource, it should not replace traditional learning methods or expert guidance.

Author Biography

Hao Song, Nanjing University

Institute of International Relations, Nanjing University, China

Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance, China

References

Akgun, S., and C. Greenhow. 2022. “Artificial Intelligence in Education: Addressing Ethical Challenges in K-12 Settings”. AI and Ethics 2 (3): 431–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-021-00096-7.

Ardoin, P. J., and W. D. Hicks. 2024. “Fear and Loathing: ChatGPT in the Political Science Classroom”. PS: Political Science and Politics 57 (4): 583–593. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1049096524000131.

Azaria, A., R. Azoulay, and S. Reches. 2024. “ChatGPT Is a Remarkable Tool—For Experts”. Data Intelligence 6 (1): 240–296. https://doi.org/10.1162/dint_a_00235.

Baidoo-Anu, D., and O. L. Ansah. 2023. “Education in the Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI): Understanding the Potential Benefits of ChatGPT in Promoting Teaching and Learning”. Journal of AI 7 (1): 52–62. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4337484.

Baillifard, A., M. Gabella, P. B. Lavenex, and C. S. Martarelli. 2025. “Effective Learning with a Personal AI Tutor: A Case Study”. Education and Information Technologies 30 (1): 297–312. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12888-5.

Braun, V., and V. Clarke. 2006. “Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology”. Qualitative Research in Psychology 3 (2): 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.

Casey, D. 2024. “ChatGPT in Public Policy Teaching and Assessment: An Examination of Opportunities and Challenges”. Australian Journal of Public Administration 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12647.

European Commission. 2018. “Artificial Intelligence for Europe”. COM/2018/237 Final. Accessed November 8, 2025. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2018:237:FIN.

Fogg, B. J. 2003. Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann. https://doi.org/10.1145/764008.763957.

Fogg, B. J., and H. Tseng. 1999. “The Elements of Computer Credibility”. In CHI ’99: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 80–87. New York: Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/302979.303001.

Fraiwan, M., and N. Khasawneh. 2023. “A Review of ChatGPT Applications in Education, Marketing, Software Engineering, and Healthcare: Benefits, Drawbacks, and Research Directions”. Preprint, arXiv, April 29. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2305.00237.

Garg, J., and K. Garg. 2023. “ChatGPT as an Empowering Catalyst: Unveiling the Impact on Political Awareness and Civic Education”. i-manager’s Journal on School Educational Technology 19 (2): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.26634/jsch.19.2.20149.

Gerlich, M. 2025. “AI Tools in Society: Impacts on Cognitive Offloading and the Future of Critical Thinking”. Societies 15 (1): 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15010006.

Gruda, D. 2024. “Three Ways ChatGPT Helps Me in My Academic Writing”. Nature, April 8. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01042-3.

Han, Z., F. Battaglia, A. Udaiyar, A. Fooks, and S. R. Terlecky. 2024. “An Explorative Assessment of ChatGPT as an Aid in Medical Education: Use It with Caution”. Medical Teacher 46 (5): 657–664. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2023.2271159.

Haque, M. A., and S. Li. 2025. “Exploring ChatGPT and Its Impact on Society”. AI and Ethics 5: 791–803. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-024-00435-4.

Huang, Z. A. 2025. “Terminology, AI Bias, and the Risks of Current Digital Public Diplomacy Practices”. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 21: 327–333. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41254-024-00324-x.

Kasneci, E., K. Sessler, S. Küchemann, M. Bannert, D. Dementieva, F. Fischer, U. Gasser, G. Groh, S. Günnemann, E. Hüllermeier, S. Krusche, G. Kutyniok, T. Michaeli, C. Nerdel, J. Pfeffer, O. Poquet, M. Sailer, A. Schmidt, T. Seidel, M. Stadler, and G. Kasneci. 2023. “ChatGPT for Good? On Opportunities and Challenges of Large Language Models for Education”. Learning and Individual Differences 103: 102274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2023.102274.

King, K. 2019. “Education, Digital Literacy and Democracy: The Case of Britain’s Proposed ‘Exit’ from the European Union (Brexit)”. Asia Pacific Education Review 20: 285–294. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-019-09594-0.

Liu, Y., T. Han, S. Ma, J. Zhang, Y. Yang, J. Tian, H. He, A. Li, M. He, Z. Liu, Z. Wu, L. Zhao, D. Zhu, X. Li, N. Qiang, D. Shen, T. Liu, and B. Ge. 2023. “Summary of ChatGPT-Related Research and Perspectives towards the Future of Large Language Models”. Meta-Radiology 1 (2): 100017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metrad.2023.100017.

Loeckx. 2016. “Blurring Boundaries in Education: Context and Impact of MOOCs”. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning 17 (3): 92–121. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v17i3.2395.

Medhat, W., A. Hassan, and H. Korashy. 2014. “Sentiment Analysis Algorithms and Applications: A Survey”. Ain Shams Engineering Journal 5 (4): 1093–1113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2014.04.011.

Memarian, B., and T. Doleck. 2023. “ChatGPT in Education: Methods, Potentials and Limitations”. Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans 1 (2): 100022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbah.2023.100022.

Messer, U. 2025. “How Do People React to Political Bias in Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)?” Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans 3: 100108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbah.2024.100108.

Motoki, F., V. P. Neto, and V. Rodrigues. 2024. “More Human Than Human: Measuring ChatGPT Political Bias”. Public Choice 198 (1): 3–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-023-01042-8.

Newman, J., and M. Mintrom. 2023. “Mapping the Discourse on Evidence-Based Policy, Artificial Intelligence, and the Ethical Practice of Policy Analysis”. Journal of European Public Policy 30 (9): 1839–1859. https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2023.2193223.

Nov, O., N. Singh, and D. Mann. 2023. “Putting ChatGPT’s Medical Advice to the (Turing) Test: Survey Study”. JMIR Medical Education 9: e46939. https://doi.org/10.2196/46939.

Peters, U. 2022. “Algorithmic Political Bias in Artificial Intelligence Systems”. Philosophy and Technology 35 (2): 25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-022-00512-8.

Sallam, M. 2023. “ChatGPT Utility in Healthcare Education, Research, and Practice: Systematic Review on the Promising Perspectives and Valid Concerns”. Healthcare 11 (6): 887. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11060887.

Shabbir, A., S. F. Rizvi, M. M. Alam, and M. M. Su’ud. 2024. “Beyond Boundaries: Navigating the Positive Potential of ChatGPT, Empowering Education in Underdeveloped Corners of the World”. Heliyon: A Cell Press Journal 10 (16): e35845. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35845.

Shahzad, M. F., S. Xu, and H. Zahid. 2025. “Exploring the Impact of Generative AI-Based Technologies on Learning Performance through Self-Efficacy, Fairness and Ethics, Creativity, and Trust in Higher Education”. Education and Information Technologies 30: 3691–3716. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12949-9.

Thornberg, R., and K. Charmaz. 2014. “Grounded Theory and Theoretical Coding”. In The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Data Analysis, edited by U. Flick, 153–169. London: Sage Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446282243.n11.

Van Noorden, R., and J. M. Perkel. 2023. “AI and Science: What 1,600 Researchers Think”. Nature 621 (7980): 672–675. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-02980-0.

Yin, R. K. 2014. Case Study Research: Design and Methods. 5th ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Zhai, C., S. Wibowo, and L. D. Li. 2024. “The Effects of Over-Reliance on AI Dialogue Systems on Students’ Cognitive Abilities: A Systematic Review”. Smart Learning Environments 11 (1): 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-024-00316-7.

Downloads

Published

2025-11-19

How to Cite

Song, Hao. 2025. “ChatGPT in Political Education: A Comparative Study of Student and Faculty Perspectives”. Education As Change 29 (November):22 pages. https://doi.org/10.25159/1947-9417/19336.

Issue

Section

Articles