Beyond calculators: Decoding students’ usage behaviour regarding AI chatbots for mathematics using UTAUT

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 1,422 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.