ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN ENHANCING RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY IN BUSINESS EDUCATION PROGRAMMES IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

This study investigated the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing research productivity in Business Education programs in Nigerian universities. Specifically, it examined the extent to which AI tools improve the accuracy, efficiency, and quality of research outputs among lecturers, as well as their influence on research processes such as literature review, plagiarism detection, data analysis, and academic writing. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and was conducted in federal universities located in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The population consisted of Business Education lecturers, and a purposive sampling technique was employed to select 150 respondents from universities offering Business Education programs in the region. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Research Productivity in Business Education Programs (AIERPBEP). The instrument was validated by experts in Business Education and Educational Technology, and its reliability was confirmed using Cronbach Alpha, which yielded a coefficient above 0.70, indicating good internal consistency. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) to answer the research questions, while inferential statistics such as the t-test, Pearson correlation, and ANOVA were employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that AI tools exert a highly positive influence on research productivity, with notable impacts on improving efficiency, reducing writing time, minimizing plagiarism cases, and enhancing overall research output. Nonetheless, the study also found that AI tools have limited influence on the development of critical thinking and analytical writing skills among researchers. The study concluded that although AI tools significantly improve the technical and mechanical aspects of research, they should be regarded as complementary aids rather than substitutes for the intellectual efforts of researchers. It was therefore recommended that Nigerian universities integrate AI training into academic development programs, provide adequate infrastructural support for AI use, and promote responsible adoption of AI tools in order to balance efficiency with originality in research.