ChatGPT in Secondary Education: A Multi-Theoretical Case Study from a Developing Country

Abstract

The rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has created opportunities and challenges for secondary education, particularly in resource-constrained contexts. This study examines the integration of ChatGPT in classroom learning through a qualitative instrumental case study conducted in a public secondary school in Indonesia. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and focus group discussions involving students, teachers, and school leadership. The findings reveal that ChatGPT is primarily used in concept-driven subjects such as Economics, Indonesian Language, and English, while its application in Mathematics remains limited. Students reported that ChatGPT supports learning efficiency, facilitates conceptual understanding, and enhances confidence in completing academic tasks. However, challenges related to information accuracy, potential dependency, and uncritical use were also identified. Importantly, the study highlights the central role of teacher mediation in shaping responsible and reflective ChatGPT use, particularly through strategies such as verification of ChatGPT-generated content and guided explanation in students' own words. Based on these findings, the study proposes a teacher-mediated and context-sensitive framework to support pedagogically grounded ChatGPT integration. The study contributes empirical evidence from a Global South context and offers transferable insights for the responsible pedagogical integration of ChatGPT in under-resourced secondary education settings.