APPLICATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN CALABAR EDUCATION CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the management of educational resources in secondary schools in Calabar Education Zone, Cross River State. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and all 95 public secondary schools and their principals were included using a census approach due to the manageable population size. Data were collected using a validated structured instrument titled Application of Artificial Intelligence and Management of Educational Resources Questionnaire (AAIMERQ), designed on a 4-point Likert scale. The instrument was validated by experts in Educational Management and Measurement and Evaluation at the University of Calabar, while reliability testing produced a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient ranging from 0.81 to 0.84. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that AI is increasingly integrated into human resource management functions such as recruitment, staff deployment, performance monitoring, appraisal, training, and decision-making processes in secondary schools. Similarly, AI is applied to a moderate to high extent in financial management activities, particularly in budgeting, financial record keeping, fraud detection, and financial forecasting. These applications contribute to improved efficiency, transparency, accountability, and data-driven decision-making in school administration. However, the study also found that AI is less utilized in key financial areas such as fund allocation decision-making and tracking of school revenue sources, The study concludes that while AI significantly improves both human and financial resource management, its application is still evolving and not yet fully maximized across all administrative functions. It therefore recommends that educational authorities organize regular training and capacity-building programmes to enhance the digital literacy and AI competence of school administrators and teachers for effective and comprehensive utilization of AI in school management.