Student Acceptance of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Islamic Higher Education: An Extended UTAUT Model

Abstract

The rapid development of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has brought significant changes to learning practices in higher education, necessitating a more comprehensive understanding of how students accept and utilize this technology in an academic context. This study aims to analyze the factors influencing the acceptance of Generative Artificial Intelligence among students in Islamic higher education and to develop a conceptual framework that integrates ethical considerations into the study of technology acceptance. This study employs an exploratory qualitative approach through in-depth interviews with students at Islamic higher education institutions. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework. The results indicate that the acceptance of GenAI is influenced by the interaction among technological, social, institutional, and ethical factors. Performance expectancy and effort expectancy play a role in shaping students’ perceptions of the benefits, ease of use, and effectiveness of GenAI in supporting academic activities. Meanwhile, social influence and facilitating conditions indicate that support from faculty, the academic environment, and the readiness of digital infrastructure contribute to the continued use of GenAI. Furthermore, this study found that Ethical Considerations serve as an important contextual dimension that guides acceptance Technology promotes the responsible use of AI through awareness of academic integrity, critical evaluation of AI-generated information, and an understanding of the ethical limitations of its use. Theoretically, this study contributes by developing the Ethically Responsible AI Acceptance Model (ERA-Acceptance Model), which expands the UTAUT framework by integrating ethical responsibility as a contextual mechanism to explain the acceptance of GenAI in a values-based educational environment. This study offers implications for Islamic universities to develop AI literacy, ethical guidelines, and institutional policies to ensure the innovative, critical, and responsible use of GenAI.