The Influence Of AI-Supported Learning on Students Sense of Belonging and Psychological Well -Being Examining The Mediating Role Of Academic Resilience.

Abstract

This study examined the influence of AI-supported learning on students’ sense of belonging and psychological well-being, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of academic resilience among university students in Pakistan. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed, and data were collected from 405 university students through a self-administered structured questionnaire administered using Google Forms. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS through Pearson product-moment correlation, multiple linear regression, independent-samples t-test, and mediation analysis using bootstrapping. Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated a significant positive relationship between AI-supported learning and students’ sense of belonging (r = .584, p < .001). Multiple linear regression showed that AI-supported learning (β = .29, p < .001) and academic resilience (β = .42, p < .001) significantly predicted psychological well-being, with the model explaining 41% of the variance (R² = .41, p < .001). Independent-samples t-test results indicated significant gender differences in academic resilience (t = -2.63, p = .009) and psychological well-being (t = -2.51, p = .012), while differences in AI-supported learning and sense of belonging were not statistically significant. Mediation analysis showed that academic resilience significantly mediated the relationship between AI-supported learning and sense of belonging (indirect B = .20, 95% CI [.13, .28]) and between AI-supported learning and psychological well-being (indirect B = .19, 95% CI [.12, .27]). The study is significant because it demonstrates that AI-supported learning is associated not only with students’ learning experiences but also with their social and psychological functioning, with academic resilience serving as an important explanatory mechanism. The findings provide useful implications for higher education institutions in integrating responsible AI-supported learning with resilience development and supportive educational practices.