The balancing act between AI and authenticity in assessment: A case study of secondary school students’ use of GenAI in reflective writing

This study examines how secondary school students balance the use of Generative AI (GenAI) tools while maintaining authenticity in reflective writing. Reflective writing, a cognitively demanding task, can benefit from AI's ability to improve efficiency and organisation. Using a case study approach, data were collected from the reflective writing pieces of five secondary school students, as well as the accompanying GenAI chat logs and individual interviews following a three-week summer internship programme. Thematic analysis found that while GenAI supports technical quality and reduces cognitive load, it also poses challenges regarding authenticity, depth of reflection, and students' over-reliance on AI. Students reported experiencing AI guilt, particularly regarding perceived laziness, fear of judgment, and concerns over self-efficacy. The findings highlight a tension between producing polished writing and preserving personal voice. Educators must guide students to use AI ethically, ensuring that it supports rather than undermines authentic reflection. • AI can help reduce the cognitive load involved with reflective writing practices. • Students struggled balancing using AI to improve writing while remaining authentic. • Students' AI guilt impacted how they engaged with AI in reflective writing. • Using AI for reflections raised concerns about reflective depth and originality. • Educators should seek to foster both students' reflection literacy and AI literacy.