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Information competence and critical thinking in digital environments evidence from university students in Kazakhstan
Автор(ы)
Nurgul Yrymbayeva
Moldir Yermekova
Oryntay Tezekova
Bakytgul B. Issatayeva
Assan Tuxanbayev
Дата публикации
24 апреля 2026 г.
Тип
journal article
Издатель
Frontiers Media
Журнал
Том
11
ISSN
2504-284X
Аннотация
The rapid expansion of digital platforms and generative artificial intelligence has reshaped how university students access and evaluate academic information, intensifying concerns about information reliability, critical thinking, and ethical use. This study addresses the gap between students’ widespread access to digital information and their capacity to critically evaluate and responsibly use it in academic contexts, particularly in underrepresented settings such as Kazakhstan. A sequential mixed-methods design (QUAL → quan) was employed. Qualitative data explored students’ information-seeking practices, credibility judgments, responses to conflicting information, perceptions of AI-related risks, and views on institutional support. The sample consisted of 77 undergraduate students enrolled in teacher education-related programs at a university in Kazakhstan. The findings showed a clear hierarchy of search entry points: students most often began with Google Search ( n = 30), followed by university databases/library portals ( n = 16) and AI tools ( n = 15). Clear author credentials ( n = 49) and transparent methods or data ( n = 25) emerged as the strongest trust indicators. When using AI, students reported predominantly supportive uses, especially summarizing checked readings ( n = 58) and generating ideas or outlines ( n = 52), rather than relying on AI as a primary source. These patterns indicate that students’ engagement with generative AI is characterized by conditional trust, pragmatic usefulness, and uneven but developing evaluative awareness. The study contributes context-specific evidence from Kazakhstan to the emerging literature on student engagement with generative AI and suggests that higher education institutions should integrate source evaluation, critical reasoning, and AI literacy more explicitly into curriculum, pedagogy, and library support systems.
Области науки (FoS)
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Название
W7155534690.pdf
Описание
Полный текст в открытом доступе, лицензия cc-by; источник: https://public-pages-files-2025.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1809360/pdf
Размер
2,79 MB
Формат
Adobe PDF
Контрольная сумма
(MD5):ec28f18e3a1e2ab27f37607e7bb232b5