Exploring Students’ Perceptions of AI-Supported Infographic and Comic-Based Instruction for Teaching Principles of Economics

Abstract

Students often perceive introductory economics as abstract and cognitively demanding, particularly at the diploma and vocational levels where learning motivation may be limited. Therefore, this exploratory study examines students’ perceptions of AI-supported infographic and comic-based instruction for teaching Principles of Economics, supported by AI-assisted tools for content simplification and the development of instructional materials delivered through an e-learning platform. A pre-experimental post-intervention-only design was employed involving 30 Malaysian vocational college diploma students. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire measuring students’ perceived conceptual understanding, learning motivation, learning interest, and perceived usefulness. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis were employed to examine response patterns and relationships among the constructs. The findings indicate that students reported moderate to positive perceived conceptual understanding, alongside high levels of learning motivation, interest, and perceived usefulness after engaging with the instructional materials. These results provide preliminary pedagogical insights into the potential role of AI-supported multimodal instruction as a scaffold for enhancing student engagement in the teaching of abstract economic concepts. Implications for instructional design and future research are discussed.