The competence paradox: negotiating ease, risk, and creative identity in text-to-image generative AI use among art and design students
Introduction The rapid diffusion of text-to-image (T2I) generative AI has intensified pressures surrounding assessment and skill reconfiguration in art and design education. However, existing research on T2I adoption in studio-based pedagogy remains limited. This study examines technology acceptance from both educators' and students' perspectives, and illustrates the transformation of intentions and actions in creative learning situations. Methods A modified exploratory sequential mixed-methods design with an explanatory qualitative follow-up phase (QUAL-QUAN-qual) was employed. Instructor focus groups were first conducted to identify key constructs and inform the development of a contextualized technology acceptance framework. This was followed by a questionnaire survey of 417 college students, and semi-structured interviews to explain unexpected quantitative results. Results The results indicate that performance expectancy, social influence, novelty value, and creative competence positively influence behavioral intention. In contrast, the negative effects of effort expectancy and facilitating conditions can be interpreted in light of students' shortcut-oriented use of T2I tools in coursework. Furthermore, students with different levels of competence perceive distinct risks across task stages, which helps explain the lack of significant translation from intention and creative competence into use behavior. Discussion The findings highlight a paradox: although creative competence positively supports behavioral intention, it may also lead to more selective or restrained engagement in actual use. Accordingly, the study extends technology acceptance models in creative education by showing that T2I adoption cannot be understood solely through conventional utilitarian predictors. Instead, it is also shaped by students' interpretations of risk and their developing creative identity, particularly in authorship, originality, and skill preservation. The results reconceptualize T2I adoption as a dynamic process of negotiation between diverse student profiles and technological evolution, ultimately providing an evidence-based foundation and practical recommendations for AI pedagogy in creative education.
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The competence paradox: negotiating ease, risk, and creative identity in text-to-image generative AI use among art and design students
Semantic Scholar · Art · 2026
Abstract
Introduction The rapid diffusion of text-to-image (T2I) generative AI has intensified pressures surrounding assessment and skill reconfiguration in art and design education. However, existing research on T2I adoption in studio-based pedagogy remains limited. This study examines technology acceptance from both educators' and students' perspectives, and illustrates the transformation of intentions and actions in creative learning situations. Methods A modified exploratory sequential mixed-methods design with an explanatory qualitative follow-up phase (QUAL-QUAN-qual) was employed. Instructor focus groups were first conducted to identify key constructs and inform the development of a contextualized technology acceptance framework. This was followed by a questionnaire survey of 417 college students, and semi-structured interviews to explain unexpected quantitative results. Results The results indicate that performance expectancy, social influence, novelty value, and creative competence positively influence behavioral intention. In contrast, the negative effects of effort expectancy and facilitating conditions can be interpreted in light of students' shortcut-oriented use of T2I tools in coursework. Furthermore, students with different levels of competence perceive distinct risks across task stages, which helps explain the lack of significant translation from intention and creative competence into use behavior. Discussion The findings highlight a paradox: although creative competence positively supports behavioral intention, it may also lead to more selective or restrained engagement in actual use. Accordingly, the study extends technology acceptance models in creative education by showing that T2I adoption cannot be understood solely through conventional utilitarian predictors. Instead, it is also shaped by students' interpretations of risk and their developing creative identity, particularly in authorship, originality, and skill preservation. The results reconceptualize T2I adoption as a dynamic process of negotiation between diverse student profiles and technological evolution, ultimately providing an evidence-based foundation and practical recommendations for AI pedagogy in creative education.