This thesis explores the ways in which upper secondary students in Sweden navigate the introduction of generally available generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and how they use it as a tool for their schoolwork, with the aim of exploring the implications for metacognitive development and didactics. This research is situated at the intersection of AI in education, self-regulated learning, and didactic theory, and explores students’ experiences and usage patterns of GenAI during a period of rapid technological change and limited institutional guidance. The study is based on a mixed-methods design, and comprises three papers: a survey-based analysis of the obstacles faced by students in terms of planning, focusing, and motivation; a qualitative study of 13 students’ perspectives on GenAI; and a quantitative survey of 1,266 students, in which descriptive statistics and latent class analysis are used to identify distinct user profiles. The findings reveal that a large proportion of student had adopted GenAI for schoolwork, primarily for information gathering and process support, but also as a shortcut, often without formal guidance. A discussion of these findings is presented in light of didactic theories, and it is shown that both GenAI and the idea of GenAI cause and reveal breaches in the didactic contract, leading to the erosion of trust and posing risks to students’ development of essential skills. In order to handle the disruption arising from GenAI, it is argued that structured education and guidance are required for self-regulated learning and GenAI, and that these should be integrated into subject-matter teaching. These insights will contribute to ongoing debates on digital competence, educational equity, and the role of emerging technologies in shaping future teaching and learning.

Den här avhandlingen utforskar hur svenska gymnasieelever navigerar uppkomsten av allmänt tillgänglig generativ artificiell intelligens (GenAI) och hur de utforskar det som ett redskap för skolarbete, i syfte att undersöka vilka implikationer detta har för metakognitiv utveckling och didaktik. Avhandlingen befinner sig i gränslandet mellan AI i utbildning, självreglerat lärande och didaktik, och studerar elevers erfarenheter och användningsmönster av GenAI under en period som karaktäriseras av snabb teknologisk utveckling och begränsat stöd från utbildningsinstitutioner. I avhandlingen används såväl kvalitativa som kvantitativa metoder, och bygger på tre artiklar: den första är en enkätbaserad statistiskt beskriven och tematisk analys av vilka hinder som gymnasieelever stöter på kring planering, fokusering och motivation; den andra är en tematisk analys av 13 gymnasieelevers perspektiv på GenAI; den tredje är en kvantitativ analys av en enkät med 1266 gymnasieelever, analyserad med deskriptiv analys, latent klassanalys och statistiska tester för att identifiera och beskriva användarprofiler. Resultaten visar att gymnasieelever brett har anammat GenAI som ett verktyg för sitt skolarbete framför allt för informationssökning och processtöd, men även som en genväg för att bli av med skolarbete, men också att detta har skett i stor utsträckning utan formell vägledning. Resultaten diskuteras i ljuset av didaktisk teori och visar att GenAI och idéer om GenAI påvisar och ger upphov till brott i det didaktiska kontraktet. Detta har lett till skador i förtroenderelationer och risker för elevers utveckling av centrala förmågor. För att möta effekterna av GenAI argumenterar avhandlingen för strukturerad undervisning i självreglering och GenAI, samt att dessa integreras i ämnesundervisning. Avhandlingen bidrar till pågående diskussioner om digital kompetens, likvärdighet i utbildning, och ny tekniks roll i framtida undervisning och lärande.

The spread of easily accessible generative AI in the form of chatbots has impacted secondary education, but the effects of this are largely unknown. Previous studies have shown that using chatbots in a learning context can be both harmful or helpful depending on how they are used. While students are undoubtedly utilising this technology, there is scarce data on the extent, intention, or approach to its use, or what drives it.

The present study builds upon the findings of a previous qualitative study, aiming to investigate and quantify students' use of generative AI for schoolwork. Through a survey sent to multiple upper secondary schools, we collected 1266 responses to analyse upper secondary students' attitudes toward, usage of, support for, and knowledge about generative AI. We present an overview of students’ AI usage and knowledge using descriptive statistics. For further analysis, a Latent Class Analysis was conducted and four distinct response patterns among students identified: AI-positive knowledge-seekers, Cautious AI-adopters, AI-sceptics and Efficiency-seekers. These four classes were then used to explore differences relating to gender, grade, choice of study programme, attitude to knowledge, neuropsychiatric diagnoses and non-native Swedish speaking students.

We find that students use generative AI for schoolwork primarily as support for the process of doing their schoolwork but also as a shortcut for tasks perceived as meaningless. We find that the identified patterns of attitudes, knowledge and usage exhibit behaviours that are in different ways both promising and worrisome, and that warrant different courses of action in education.

This research contributes by identifying differences in student behaviour and attitudes towards AI, and points to needs for further research in the diversity of behaviour and the consequences of different use patterns, as well as the need to tailor educational support for different student groups.

Även om forskning har bedrivits om självreglerat lärande i relation till lärandeanalys finns det fortfarande en kunskapslucka när det gäller de hinder som elever i gymnasieutbildningen möter i att reglera sitt eget lärande och hur lärandeanalys kan stödja deras självreglering. Denna artikel undersöker två frågor: 1) Vilka utmaningar upplever gymnasieelever i processen att reglera sitt eget lärande?, och 2) Vilken information och data behöver gymnasieelever för att bättre kunna reglera sitt eget lärande? Vi genomförde en studie på en medelstor gymnasieskola i Mellansverige för att bättre förstå hur dessa frågor manifesterar sig bland eleverna. Vi analyserade data som samlats in av skolan två gånger årligen mellan 2015 och 2022 och administrerade ett frågeformulär till 224 elever för att besvara forskningsfrågorna. Genom beskrivande statistik och en tematisk analys identifierar vi vanliga problem som elever stöter på samt den information som är nödvändig för att stötta självreglerat lärande. Vi diskuterar implikationerna av våra fynd för utformningen av system som förser elever med relevant data för att förbättra deras lärandeupplevelser.

While research has been conducted on self-regulated learning in relation to learning analytics, there remains a knowledge gap regarding the obstacles secondary education students face in regulating their learning and how learning analytics can support their self-regulation. This paper investigates two questions: 1) What challenges do secondary education students experience in the process of regulating their own learning?, and 2) What information and data do secondary education students need to better regulate their own learning? We conducted a study at a mid-sized upper secondary school in middle Sweden, to better understand how these issues manifest among students. We analyzed data collected by the school twice annually between 2015 and 2022, and administered a questionnaire to 224 students to answer the research questions. Through descriptive statistics and a thematic analysis, we identify prevalent problems that students encounter, as well as the necessary information that is essential for scaffolding self-regulated learning. We discuss the implications of our findings for the design of systems that provide students with relevant data to enhance their learning experiences.

The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has transformed educational landscapes, yet little is known about how upper secondary students experience and perceive these technologies in their daily learning. While previous research has focused primarily on higher education or specific subject areas, empirical studies exploring secondary students’ perspectives remain scarce. This qualitative study addresses this gap by investigating the experiences of 13 upper secondary school students in Sweden through semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis. The findings reveal that students generally view GenAI as a valuable tool for enhancing and supporting existing educational structures, rather than as a replacement for traditional schooling. Students highlighted benefits such as personalised learning support and streamlined administrative processes but also expressed concerns about reliability, privacy, and the ethical implications of AI use in education. The study underscores the need for thoughtful integration of GenAI, attentive to both its potential and its challenges, and calls for further research to inform policy and practice in secondary education.