Elviza Yeni Putri, Indra Saputra, Wanda Afnison, Rahmi Oktarina, Arief Kurniawan, Dyah Kusumastuti, Sumarni Susilawati
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education transforms teaching and learning, yet its role in fostering creativity, particularly divergent thinking, remains underexplored. This study examines the influence of cognitive attributes on divergent thinking, with teaching behavior as a mediator and AI adoption as a moderator, aiming to optimize learning environments and address gaps in existing literature. This study employs a quantitative approach using Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) to analyze data from 534 university students across Indonesia, selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected via validated questionnaires adopted from previous studies. The analysis includes reliability, validity tests, structural model evaluation, and hypothesis testing using bootstrapping. The results of the study highlight the significant influence of AI adoption on divergent thinking, with flexibility and curiosity emerging as crucial factors in this process. Mediation analysis further reveals that both curiosity and flexibility positively mediate divergent thinking through teaching behavior. Additionally, the moderation effects suggest that AI adoption strengthens the relationship between flexibility, thinking style, and divergent thinking. These findings underscore the pivotal role of AI adoption and individual characteristics in fostering divergent thinking. This study highlights the critical role of AI adoption and teaching behavior in fostering divergent thinking. It emphasizes developing cognitive traits like curiosity and flexibility through interactive methods and leveraging AI for creative growth. Future research is encouraged to explore additional mediating variables and examine the interaction between cognitive traits and AI adoption across cultural, institutional, and disciplinary contexts, using behavioral indicators to improve model validity. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.
Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia; Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, Purwokerto, Indonesia; Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar, Makasar, Indonesia
