The instrumental mediation of Artificial Intelligence in fostering critical thinking in higher education students

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to assess the significance of instrumental mediation with Artificial Intelligence in fostering critical thinking among university students at the Faculty of Education Sciences of the University of Carabobo. The rapid development of emerging technologies and their increasing integration into everyday life highlight the need to examine the role of artificial intelligence in university education. The study adopted a qualitative approach within the interpretive paradigm and followed a hermeneutic phenomenological design. Non-participant observation was conducted through field diaries over five weeks of activities involving ten students in the Spanish Language area. Data analysis included coding, categorization, structuring, and the establishment of relationships among categories, supported by Atlas.ti. The interpretation of the findings was strengthened through theoretical triangulation by contrasting the categories emerging from the observation records with conceptual frameworks and previous studies related to educational mediation, artificial intelligence, and critical thinking. The findings suggest that a merely instrumental use of artificial intelligence may encourage passive responses, whereas intentional didactic mediation promotes processes of comparison, reflection, information assessment, and integrative written production. It is concluded that artificial intelligence can contribute to the development of critical thinking when its integration is articulated with mediation strategies that foster students’ cognitive autonomy.