Exploring the Relationship Between Academic Achievement and ChatGPT Usage: A Survey of Higher Education Students in Malaysia

Students' academic achievement is caused by several factors which include cognitive capability, study habits, instructor effectiveness, family support, socio-economic status, and access to modern learning technologies like ChatGPT. Since its introduction, studies have suggested that ChatGPT has significantly impacted students’ academic performance. This study aims to explore whether students who perform well academically in higher education are more likely to use ChatGPT to enhance their studies and to gather their opinions on this learning tool. A survey was conducted with forty-one students with excellent academic performance. The results of this study show that most students with high academic achievement view ChatGPT as a valuable learning tool, with 82.9% states that it helps them understand complex topics and 73.2% find it useful for assignments. 51.2% use ChatGPT for academic purposes and 39% use it for both academic and non-academic tasks which indicate its broader utility. 80.5% of students indicate it is beneficial for their studies even though only 49.8% trust its accuracy. 73.4% of students acknowledge the risk of misuse such as cheating even though 53.7% still believe current protections are sufficient. Finally, students suggest improvements in ChatGPT such as the ability to provide more accurate responses and handle complex academic queries. In summary, the study suggests that students who perform well academically do use ChatGPT to improve their studies and appreciate its benefits. However, they also raise ethical concerns regarding its potential of misuse. For educators, the outcomes of this study will be of great benefit to them as the results highlight the need for them to allow students to use ChatGPT to improve their academic performance and at the same time tackling potential unethical issues such as misuse and cheating.