Developing Effective GenAI Users: The Missing Motivational System and Why It Matters for Equity

Research on Generative AI (GenAI) in education has largely focused on how much students use it and its impact on learning. This framing overlooks the motivational processes driving students’ choices. We propose broadening research to include the study of what cultures, contexts, and learning experiences give students the knowledge, skills, beliefs, and motivation to become effective GenAI users. We define effective GenAI use and propose a motivational model of how learning environments and students' perceptions of them shape their goals and GenAI engagement choices, with attention to educational inequities that may emerge.