Integrating ‘ GPT ‐4o’ as an AI Tool Into K‐12 Contexts: Assessing Its Long‐Term Effects on Students' Self‐Regulated Learning ( SRL ) and Task Engagement Through Latent Growth Curve Modelling

ABSTRACT Grounded in self‐determination theory (SDT), this longitudinal study examined the potential of GPT‐4o, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool, in K‐12 school contexts by assessing its long‐term impact on high school students' self‐regulated learning (SRL) and task engagement. Furthermore, the study tracked the developmental trajectory of these constructs over the course of a semester through latent growth curve modelling (LGCM). In doing so, a total of 165 high school students, assigned to either a treatment group ( n = 100) or a control group ( n = 65), took part in this research. Students' SRL skills and task engagement were assessed at three separate intervals using two reliable questionnaires. The LGCM findings revealed a continuous upward trajectory in the outcomes of both treatment and control groups. The results derived from a ‘multivariate analysis of variance’ (MANOVA) further indicated that students in the treatment group showed significantly greater improvements in both SRL and task engagement. Our study contributes to the growing body of literature supporting the integration of AI tools in K‐12 school contexts to optimise students' learning outcomes.