Teachers’ Assessment of the Effectiveness of AI and Digital Tools Among Middle School Students in an International School: A Tool for Deeper Learning

This study examined teachers’ assessments of middle school students’ dependency on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools and the effectiveness of these technologies in supporting deeper learning at an international school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The quantitative correlational study included 82 Grades 6–8 teachers through total enumeration. Data from a researcher-developed questionnaire were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, weighted means, standard deviations, independent-samples t tests, one-way analyses of variance, and Spearman’s rank correlation. Teachers rated student dependency as high across critical thinking, independent study habits, problem-solving, and reliance on technology for outputs. They rated the tools effective for content delivery, student engagement, and academic performance, but less effective for skill development and for deeper learning overall. Selected dependency ratings differed by sex, educational attainment, and frequency of tool use. Effectiveness ratings differed by frequency of use. Perceived dependency and effectiveness were moderately and positively associated (ρ = .537, p < .001). These findings informed the Deeper Learning Pathway, a proposed school-based program that pairs guided use of AI and digital tools with opportunities for independent reasoning and problem-solving.