Year: 2026 | Month: February | Volume: 13 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 141-148
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20260214
Adult Learners’ Self-Efficacy and Motivation When Using AI-Supported Learning Tools
Lars Arnold Ritter
PhD Student, Department National and International Security, University of Library Studies and Information Technologies, Sofia.
ABSTRACT
Learning technologies powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are swiftly transforming the world of adult education due to their adaptive feedback, customized paths of content and ongoing, on-demand assistance. Although it is often touted that such tools are universally helpful, the experience of adult learners with AI depends on specific psychological and contextual determinants, especially on the self-efficacy and motivation. The paper investigates the impact of AI-based learning tools on the beliefs of adult learners in terms of their perceived capacity to complete the task of learning as well as whether they can maintain their engagement in the process. The conversation is based on the recent findings, which put the emphasis on the importance of personalization, digital literacy, and user perceptions of the utility and trustworthiness of AI. The research paper points out that AI-based learning technologies can enhance self-efficacy among the adult learners, allowing the achievement of mastery experiences through instant feedback, scaffolding of complex tasks, and enhancing the online learning confidence of the learners. Expectancy-value beliefs that reinforce the expectation of persistence are promoted by motivation that improves when adult learners feel that AI can be useful, goal-oriented and relevant in relation to the real world. Nevertheless, as well as barriers to the efficiency of AI tools, unequal access, low digital literacy, and the digital divide are distinguished in this paper and may result in frustration and disengagement. The notion of explainability also becomes a critical aspect since AI tools might not be accepted or trusted by adult learners in cases when the decision of the system is not clear. The paper sums up by finding that AI-assisted learning technology would be capable of having a meaningful positive effect on self-efficacy and motivation in adult education, provided by equitable access policies, open system design, and instructional strategies that promote the growth of autonomous competence, as opposed to over-dependency. These results indicate that psychological preparedness and digital inclusion are critical aspects of AI integration which adult learning programs should consider in order to deliver sustainable learning results.
Keywords: Adult learners, self-efficacy, motivation, AI-supported learning tools, personalized learning, digital literacy, digital divide
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