ChatGPT as an AI tutor in learning environments

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education has transformed how students access information, engage with content, and receive instructional support. Among AI tools, ChatGPT, a conversational large language model, has emerged as a promising AI tutor capable of providing personalized guidance, adaptive feedback, and interactive explanations tailored to students’ learning needs. This paper examines the role of ChatGPT in supporting self-regulated learning and enhancing student engagement across diverse learning environments, including face-to-face, blended, and online contexts. While ChatGPT offers immediacy, scalability, and accessibility, its integration raises pedagogical and ethical challenges, including potential overreliance, misconceptions from AI-generated responses, and academic integrity concerns. An illustrative example from a MAT183 assessment demonstrates how students may use ChatGPT to obtain correct answers while diverging from prescribed instructional methods, highlighting both its potential and limitations. The study concludes that ChatGPT is most effective when implemented within a balanced, hybrid model, complementing human educators’ guidance, fostering critical thinking, and supporting inclusive and meaningful learning experiences.