Generative AI, Cognitive Offloading, and Ability Beliefs: A Case Study from an Islamic Secondary School in South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Hendro Yulius Suryo Putro; Shoofii Syammari; Novi Rosita Rahmawati

Authors

Hendro Yulius Suryo Putro state university of malang
Shoofii Syammari Universitas Lambung Mangkurat
Novi Rosita Rahmawati UIN Syekh Wasil Kediri

Keywords:

generative AI, cognitive offloading, implicit theories of ability, reflective practice, teacher feedback

Abstract

This study examines how six students and three teachers in one private Islamic senior secondary school in South Kalimantan, Indonesia (coded SMAI-X), described generative AI use, beliefs about the changeability of ability, and classroom feedback practice, against a contested evidence base on both AI-related cognitive offloading and growth-mindset interventions. Using a qualitative multiple-case design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, student process journals, AI interaction logs, and weekly reflection entries, and analyzed through within-case profiling, boundary-explicit thematic coding, and cross-case comparison. Three patterns emerged: several students treated a functioning AI-generated output as sufficient for task closure without independent verification; some students used explicit fixed-ability language when accounting for specific difficulties; and teachers' feedback typically named a shortcoming without an actionable next step, within a routine offering limited revision opportunity. These patterns were synthesized into a hypothesized, non-causal process model. Islamic epistemological commitments to effortful knowledge-seeking (ijtihad) are used as a conceptual lens for interpreting these patterns, positioning Islamic education as a theoretical contribution of the study rather than only its research setting. Findings are bounded to a small number of cases in one classroom and should not be generalized; the cross-sectional design does not support causal inference, and reliance on self-report raises the possibility of social desirability effects. Longitudinal or experimental designs are needed to test the proposed model's directionality, and equity-focused attention to feedback structure and device access is recommended for similar classroom contexts.

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