ChatGPT as a self-regulated learning support tool in thesis writing: a mixed-methods study

Abstract

This study examines the potential of ChatGPT as a writing tool for postgraduate students, emphasizing its role in planning, monitoring, and evaluation. Guided by Zimmerman's Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) framework, this study investigates how ChatGPT supports postgraduate students during the forethought, performance, and self-reflection phases of thesis writing. Using a mixed-method research design, data from 303 postgraduate students through a survey and 20 interviews highlight various positive practices and concerns among postgraduates. The quantitative findings revealed that students reported positive experiences using ChatGPT to support planning, monitoring, and evaluation during thesis writing. The qualitative findings further demonstrated that ChatGPT assisted students in outlining chapters, brainstorming ideas, clarifying research objectives, verifying information, refining prompts, and critically evaluating AI-generated content. The sub-themes indicate that evaluation within the SRL cycle was characterized by strong metacognitive control, critical judgment, and authorial agency. Participants consistently positioned themselves as primary authors, using AI as a reflective and supplementary tool rather than a replacement, thereby safeguarding academic identity and scholarly contribution. Overall, the findings suggest that ChatGPT can function as a cognitive and metacognitive scaffold that supports self-regulated thesis writing when used critically and strategically. The study provides critical implications for leveraging ChatGPT among postgraduates to enhance their writing skills while maintaining academic integrity and authorial ownership.