Experience of AI ‐Based Digital Intervention in Professional Education in Rural China: Digital Competencies and Academic Self‐Efficacy

ABSTRACT Rural regions in China grapple with discernible disparities in the development of professional education compared with urban areas. This research aims to integrate a digital program based on artificial intelligence to enhance the professional education of rural youth under the influence of globalisation and digitization. The study involved 44 students from Yangjiagou High School in Henan province, China. Simultaneously, the DigComp 2.0 assessment scale was employed to measure the dynamics of digital competencies, and a scale of general academic self‐efficacy was used to examine respondents' self‐efficacy. The analysis results indicate a positive impact of the program on students' digital skills and academic self‐efficacy. Mean values significantly increased, and the results of the two‐sample F ‐test for variance confirm significant differences between pre‐ and post‐program outcomes. This study holds significant practical implications, suggesting that the implementation of an artificial intelligence‐based digital program contributes to the improvement of students' digital skills and academic self‐efficacy.