Integrating Artificial Intelligence (Ai) in Social Studies Instruction: Effect on Students’ Engagement and Interest

Abstract

This descriptive- correlational study investigated the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Social Science instruction and its effects on student engagement and interest at Salinungan National High School, San Mateo, Isabela. The respondents included seven Social Science teachers who were mostly female and aged 31–35, with graduate-level education and moderate ICT exposure, and 291 junior high school students across grade levels, who were also predominantly female. Also, more than half of the students reported using AI often, and that majority relied on WiFi for internet access. Findings revealed that teachers utilized AI extensively in lesson planning, content delivery, classroom management, and research. However, AI use in assessment, particularly grading and feedback, remained limited. On the other hand, students, reported frequent AI use and agreed that AI positively influenced their learning through personalization, interaction and engagement, academic support, and overall satisfaction. In addition, perceptions of the benefits of AI were consistent across sex, grade levels, frequency of use, and source of internet connection which confirms its uniform educational impact. The study concludes that AI enhances engagement and interest in Social Science instructions which affirm its role as a pedagogical partner rather than a mere technological aid. The study recommends expanding research to larger populations across multiple schools and districts, investigating other subject areas, explore AI’s role in assessment and feedback, conducting longitudinal studies to examine sustained impacts, and monitoring policy implementation to ensure responsible, inclusive, and values-driven integration of AI in education.