Factors Driving Study Efficiency Gains and Exam Readiness from ChatGPT Use Among STEM Students: A Machine Learning Analysis

This study examines the factors driving perceived Study Efficiency and Exam Readiness associated with ChatGPT use among STEM students in higher education. Although prior research on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has largely focused on adoption and attitudes using descriptive or linear statistical approaches, limited empirical work has explored how students’ interactions with such tools relate to learning-related outcomes. To address this gap, this study applies an interpretable machine learning (ML) framework to identify key predictors of learning gains from ChatGPT use. Data were obtained from a large-scale global survey of STEM students (n = 10,525) across 109 countries and territories, capturing usage patterns, perceived capabilities, satisfaction, and academic outcomes. Two eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost)-based ML classification models were developed to predict Study Efficiency and Exam Readiness, and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) were used to interpret feature-level contributions. The models achieved strong predictive performance for the high-gain class, with an accuracy of 0.93 (F1 = 0.96) for Study Efficiency and 0.86 (F1 = 0.92) for Exam Readiness. Results indicate that motivation, personalized learning support, improved access to knowledge, facilitation of study activities, and exam-focused study assistance are key predictors of learning gains. These findings offer empirical and practical insights for educators and policymakers seeking to design effective and pedagogically sound AI-assisted learning environments in STEM education.