Exploring undergraduate students' experiences with ChatGPT in thesis writing: a phenomenological study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The emergence of generative artificial intelligence, particularly ChatGPT, has profoundly transformed academic writing practices in higher education. This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of final-year undergraduate students at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP), Lampung University, in utilizing ChatGPT during their thesis writing process. Employing Van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenological approach, this research involved 15 participants selected through purposive sampling across four departments: English Education, Economics Education, Biology Education, and Mathematics Education. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, two-week reflective journals, and document analysis of ChatGPT interactions and thesis drafts. Thematic analysis following Moustakas's phenomenological framework revealed five essential themes: ChatGPT as a cognitive partner in the writing process, enhanced time efficiency and academic productivity, negotiation between technological assistance and originality, ChatGPT as a stimulus for autonomous learning and self-reflection, and limitations in validity, references, and factual accuracy. Findings indicate that students position ChatGPT not merely as a mechanical tool but as an intellectual companion that facilitates idea generation, conceptual clarification, and structural organization while maintaining awareness of ethical boundaries and academic integrity concerns. The study demonstrates that ChatGPT usage represents an epistemological transition toward AI-assisted learner autonomy, where students actively negotiate the roles of technology, supervisors, and themselves in academic learning and writing processes. However, concerns about cognitive dependency, fabricated citations, and the erosion of critical thinking skills persist. This research contributes to developing a conceptual framework for responsible AI integration in academic contexts and provides evidence-based recommendations for institutional policy formulation, curriculum development in AI literacy, and pedagogical strategies for supervisors. The findings suggest that rather than threatening academic integrity, ChatGPT presents an epistemic and moral challenge requiring judicious use, critical digital literacy, and institutional guidance to harness its benefits while preserving the fundamental values of scholarly honesty and intellectual autonomy.
Source: AKSARA Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra
Authors: Rafista Deviyanti, Rohman Rohman
Institution: Lampung University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7225614159