Robert Weinhandl, Branko Andic, Tommy Tanu Wijaya, Valentina Bleckenwegner, Viktoria Riegler, Selina Baldinger, Jonas Mayrhofer, Christoph Helm
The increasing integration of AI chatbots in educational settings has prompted a need to understand their impact on students’ learning behaviours, particularly in mathematics classrooms. This study employs the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to examine the factors influencing the behavioural intentions (BI) and usage behaviour (UB) of 1422 secondary school students in Austria regarding the adoption and use of AI chatbots in mathematics classrooms. To do so, we collected data through a digital questionnaire and conducted a structural equation modelling analysis. Our results highlight that the most significant predictors of BI and UB are social influence and students’ hedonic motivation to use AI chatbots. We found no significant moderation effects for gender and socio-economic background. However, orientation toward mathematics in mathematics positively moderated the effect of effort expectancy on BI, and age positively moderated the effect of BI on UB. These findings suggest that educators may strengthen students’ adoption of AI chatbots by designing interactive, enjoyable learning activities and fostering positive classroom norms through teacher guidance, peer exchange, and socially supported uses of chatbots in mathematics learning. © 2026 The Author(s)
Center for Open Digital Education, Department of Mathematics Education, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria; Linz School of Education, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria; School of Mathematical Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Department of Education and Educational Psychology, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, 4040, Austria; Doctoral Program in Basic Education, Graduate School, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia
