Examining the interplay among AI, dissertation writing, and critical thinking skills: A mixed-methods study of doctoral students

The exponential adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered tools in academia has reshaped the writing practices of Moroccan doctoral students conducting research projects. This study examines the extent to which Moroccan doctoral students use AI tools in dissertation writing and assesses the relationship between AI usage and critical thinking (CT) skills. Adopting a mixed-method explanatory sequential design, ninety-three conveniently selected doctoral students completed a designed Artificial Intelligence and Critical Thinking in Writing scale (AICTW), while fifteen participants underwent semi-structured interviews. Through descriptive, Pearson correlation, regression, and thematic analyses, the results revealed that doctoral students adopt AI-powered tools and Generative AI (GenAI) for tasks such as identifying research gaps, improving writing efficiency, and analyzing data. The correlational analysis demonstrated a moderate positive relationship between AI use and CT skills, indicating that students who frequently engage with AI tools tend to exhibit higher CT skills. Furthermore, the qualitative data revealed positive attitudes toward AI use in dissertation writing; however, participants also expressed concerns related to plagiarism, heavy reliance, and memory weakening. The findings highlight the need for more research into the influence of AI tools on higher-order thinking skills and for promoting AI literacy and deeper analytical thinking among doctoral students and researchers.