Abstract:

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly embedded in school learning, yet empirical knowledge about how pupils in compulsory education use and experience it remains limited. This pilot study explores how students at two school levels in one European country know, use, and evaluate AI, and how they imagine its role in classroom teaching and in homework. An online questionnaire was administered in April–May 2025 to 310 students in upper primary (n = 183) and secondary education (n = 127). The instrument included closed questions on familiarity with AI, frequency and purposes of use, preferred digital platforms for help-seeking, and attitudes towards AI-supported lessons, complemented by open questions about first encounters with AI and perceived advantages and risks. Quantitative data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics, while written responses were examined using thematic coding. Across both school levels, around nine in ten students reported previous experience with AI tools, and more than two-thirds had already used them for schoolwork. However, marked age-related differences emerged. Secondary students reported more frequent, weekly use of AI and relied on it more for learning-related tasks such as information search, homework support, translation, and preparing presentations, whereas upper primary students more often used AI for image editing and informal conversation. When seeking help online, older students turned directly to AI-based systems more often, while younger students preferred social media platforms and video-sharing sites. The sources through which students first learned about AI also differed: in upper primary, family members still played the central role, whereas in secondary education, peers and school became dominant. Secondary students were more likely than younger peers to state that AI is not always reliable, suggesting increasing critical reflection with age. Regarding education, students at both school levels considered the classroom use of AI generally useful and engaging, but secondary students expressed a stronger willingness to work with AI during lessons, and boys in this group were particularly enthusiastic. Subject preferences also diverged: secondary students more often imagined using AI in history and literature than upper primary students. The findings highlight that AI is already part of everyday learning practices in compulsory education, but the intensity, purposes, and critical awareness of use vary by age and gender. The study points to the need for age-sensitive and equity-oriented AI in education strategies, including teacher professional development and curriculum design that foster meaningful, responsible, and critically reflective student use of AI.

Keywords:

Artificial intelligence in education, Compulsory education, Student attitudes, Age difference, Digital learning practices.