But why? A study into why upper secondary school students use ChatGPT : Understanding students’ reasoning through Jean Baudrillard’s theory

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to better understand the reasons as to why upper secondary school students use ChatGPT, how history teachers are dealing with this technology and how these developments will affect the history subject. This was done via a survey for students at a upper secondary school in Gothenburg, Sweden, and semi-structured interviews with two teachers at the same school. The main theoretical lens of this research was based on Jean Baudrillard’s theory on simulation, simulacra and hyperreality. This to gain an understanding on how this usage of ChatGPT can be understood and analyzed. What the results show is that a majority of students that partook in this survey have used ChatGPT in their schooling. Why they used it differs, but amongst them a plurality of them saw it as something akin to Google but more effective and targeted. The interviews showed that that history teachers sees difficulties in the future to properly assess students’ abilities on written assignments, and that the fundamentals of the history subjects are at risk. What is sought after is clearer guidelines, and a cross-societal response to these developments.