The Effectiveness of Artificial Intelligence Tools in Science Education: Comparative Case Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to comparatively examine the effectiveness of two distinct artificial intelligence tools, ChatGPT and DeepSeek, on students' learning process related to the 5th grade science unit entitled “Nature of Matter”. This research, conducted within the framework of a comparative case study design, involved two students selected through purposive sampling. Each student was given the opportunity to engage in the learning process through interaction with artificial intelligence tools and observations were conducted throughout the process. After the implementation, the perspectives of the students were obtained through semi-structured interviews. The data were evaluated by thematic analysis method and were categorized under four main themes: Concept understanding of artificial intelligence applications, depth of interaction, ease of use and student motivation. The findings showed that ChatGPT was more advantageous in terms of students' motivation, interaction level, adequacy of conceptual explanation and ease of use. The study suggests that artificial intelligence-supported learning environments can serve as effective complementary tools in classroom instruction.