The Impact of Generative AI on Academic Integrity and Student Engagement in Higher Education: A Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract The rapid proliferation of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools, such as ChatGPT, has transformed higher education landscapes in 2025, offering unprecedented opportunities for personalized learning while simultaneously challenging traditional notions of academic integrity and student engagement.mdpi.com This mixed-methods study investigates the dual impact of GenAI on undergraduate students' perceptions of academic integrity in assessments and their levels of engagement, motivation, and self-efficacy. Drawing from a survey of 250 students across diverse disciplines and semi-structured interviews with 25 participants, the research addresses three key questions: how GenAI influences integrity perceptions, its relationship with engagement metrics, and effective mitigation strategies. Findings reveal that 82% of students frequently use GenAI for tasks like brainstorming and essay refinement, correlating with heightened engagement (e.g., improved motivation scores by 15–20% in adaptive scenarios) but also elevating integrity concerns, with 65% reporting fears of undetected plagiarism and over-reliance.researchgate.neteducause.edu Qualitative themes highlight ethical dilemmas, such as diminished critical thinking, yet underscore GenAI's potential to foster creativity when integrated ethically. Regression analysis confirms a positive link between guided AI use and self-efficacy (β = 0.32, p < 0.01), tempered by institutional policy gaps—only 12% of students were fully aware of AI guidelines. The study contributes to detach literature by advocating for redesigned assessments emphasizing higher-order skills, mandatory AI literacy programs, and faculty training to balance innovation with integrity.mdpi.com Implications extend to policymakers, emphasizing equitable AI adoption to enhance engagement without compromising educational ethics in an evolving digital era. Future research should explore longitudinal effects across global contexts.