IJIET 2026 Vol.16(8): 2200-2209
doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2026.16.8.2679
doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2026.16.8.2679
Critical Thinking and Students’ Intentions to Use Artificial Intelligence Chatbots for Learning: Evidence from Vietnamese Universities
My-Duyen Thi Nguyen and Diep-Ngoc Le *
University of Education, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
Email: ntmd241103@gmail.com (M.-D.T.N.); lediep@vnu.edu.vn (D.-N.L.)
*Corresponding author
Email: ntmd241103@gmail.com (M.-D.T.N.); lediep@vnu.edu.vn (D.-N.L.)
*Corresponding author
Manuscript received January 20, 2026; revised March 19, 2026; accepted April 15, 2026; published August 18, 2026
Abstract—Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots are increasingly reshaping learning practices in higher education. This study extends the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by incorporating critical thinking as a key cognitive antecedent of behavioral intention to use AI chatbots for learning. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), data collected from Vietnamese university students (n = 100) were analyzed to examine the proposed relationships. The findings indicate that critical thinking is predictively associated with students’ self-reported behavioral intention to use AI chatbots and shows a larger standardized association than traditional TAM factors, including perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitude. Attitude toward AI chatbot use also directly predicts behavioral intention and is positively associated with critical thinking, suggesting a potential mediation mechanism. The extended model demonstrates substantial explanatory power in explaining variance in students’ self-reported behavioral intention. Overall, the results highlight critical thinking as an important cognitive factor associated with more reflective and responsible use of AI chatbots in university education. Given the cross-sectional and exploratory design, the findings should be interpreted as predictive rather than causal.
Keywords—artificial intelligence, critical thinking, generative artificial intelligence, technology acceptance model, Vietnam
Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
Keywords—artificial intelligence, critical thinking, generative artificial intelligence, technology acceptance model, Vietnam
Cite: My-Duyen Thi Nguyen and Diep-Ngoc Le, "Critical Thinking and Students’ Intentions to Use Artificial Intelligence Chatbots for Learning: Evidence from Vietnamese Universities," International Journal of Information and Education Technology, vol. 16, no. 8, pp. 2200-2209, 2026.
Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).