ChatGPT in Higher Education: Gender Differences in Usage and Abstract Perceptions Among English Department Students

The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, particularly ChatGPT, into higher education has prompted growing scholarly attention to how demographic variables including gender-shape patterns of use and student attitudes. This quantitative study investigates two central questions: (۱) Are there significant gender differences in the frequency and purposes for which English Department undergraduate students use ChatGPT? and (۲) Are there significant gender differences in students' perceptions of ChatGPT's academic usefulness and concerns about academic integrity? A structured questionnaire, adapted from validated instruments and anchored on a five-point Likert scale, was administered to ۱۲۰ undergraduate students (۵۵ male, ۶۵ female) enrolled in the English Department at a public university in the Kurdistan Region- Iraq during the ۲۰۲۵-۲۰۲۶ academic year. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, and Cronbach's alpha reliability analysis were employed. Results revealed that male students reported significantly higher use of ChatGPT for essay writing and idea generation, while female students expressed significantly stronger concerns about over-reliance and academic dishonesty. No significant overall gender difference was found in composite use frequency or general perception scores. The findings contribute to the growing empirical literature on gendered AI adoption in EFL contexts and offer practical implications for English language instructors and university policymakers in the Middle East.

کلیدواژه ها:

ChatGPT ، gender differences ، English as a Foreign Language ، higher education ، academic integrity ، AI in education ، Kurdistan Region -Iraq