Artificial Intelligence Tools and the Enhancement of Inclusive Learning for Business Education Students with Special Needs in Rivers State Universities

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between Artificial Intelligence Tools and the enhancement of inclusive learning for Business Education students with special needs in Rivers State Universities. The study adopted a correlational research design. Two research questions were posed, and two corresponding null hypotheses were formulated to guide the conduct of the study. The population of the study comprised 2,088 level 100, 200, 300, and 400 undergraduate Business Education students for the 2025/2026 academic session in Rivers State University , Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, and the University of Port Harcourt. Krejcie and Morgan’s (1970) table for determining sample size was used, and 322 students were selected for data analysis after applying the formula. The justification for selecting level 100–400 undergraduate Business Education students was based on the assumption that they may have faced various challenges in their pursuit of higher education and are therefore more experienced to provide the researcher with the required information for the study. Two instruments, “Questionnaire on Artificial Intelligence Tools” and “Questionnaire on Enhancing Inclusive Learning for Business Education Students with Special Needs” (QEILBES), were used to elicit responses from the respondents. The instruments were validated through expert judgment of two experts from Business Education and one from Measurement and Evaluation. All inputs and corrections from P-ISSN 2695-186X the experts were incorporated to modify and refine the instruments. The reliability of the instruments was established using the test–retest method. Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to analyze the two sets of data, yielding reliability coefficients of 0.74 for QAIT and 0.73 for QEILBES. Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, with the aid of SPSS version 2023, was used to answer the research questions and test the hypotheses using a p- value of 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that there is a significant relationship between ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Otter.ai tools and the enhancement of inclusive learning for Business Education students with special needs in Rivers State Universities. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended, among others, that university management and Business Education departments should integrate ChatGPT as a formal support tool in teaching and learning by providing students with guided access and training. Furthermore, Microsoft Copilot should be incorporated into classroom and assignment activities, especially for students with special needs, by leveraging its accessibility features such as real-time transcription, translation, document-reading support, and adaptive content creation for a better learning experience since all students cannot learn at the same space due to individual differences.

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