HONING AND HARMING CRITICAL THINKING? EXPLORING THE USE OF GENERATIVE AI IN PEDAGOGY, ASSESSMENT, AND LEARNING IN MANAGEMENT EDUCATION.

Abstract

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly embedded in management education, creating simultaneous opportunities for cognitive support and concerns about overreliance. This study examines GenAI in relation to critical thinking, learning ability, and managerial decision-making among management students, while also examining faculty perspectives on AI-supported pedagogy and assessment. An exploratory mixed-method design was adopted. Data were obtained from management students through a structured questionnaire and faculty interviews. Student data were analysed using descriptive statistics, principal component analysis (PCA), and three multiple regression models using SPSS. Ninety percent of students reported using GenAI several times a week or more. PCA revealed distinct patterns of active critical engagement and passive acceptance, while learning and decision-making items produced a common AI overreliance. GenAI usage significantly predicted learning ability (β = .617, p < .001; R² = .385), critical thinking (β = .586, p < .001; R² = .381), and managerial decision-making (β = .522, p < .001; R² = .303), controlling for age and gender. Faculty interviews reinforced the duality: GenAI was valued for preparatory and efficiency-oriented tasks but treated more cautiously in assessment. The findings indicate that GenAI is neither inherently honing nor harming critical thinking; its educational value depends on verification, reflection, self-regulation, and independent judgment.

This paper explores when and how generative AI hones students' critical thinking by scaffolding reasoning, diversifying perspectives, and enabling iterative feedback—and when it harms those skills—by encouraging shortcuts, cognitive offloading, superficial synthesis, and academic misconduct in management education. The study will cover AI-supported teaching design, assessment integrity, AI literacy, ethics, and critical thinking in digital environments. ​ The study proposes a mixed-methods design combining a survey of management students and faculty with semi-structured interviews. The study offers a double-edged educational tool and proposes strategies for its responsible integration in management education.​​