Guyana’s Technology Frontier

Mar 09, 2025 Features / Columnists, News, Waterfalls Magazine

---

-Advancing Education, Science & Innovation

Harnessing AI to Transform Education in Guyana – A Researcher’s Perspective

By Karen Abrams

Kaieteur News- Guyana’s education system faces a significant challenge; too many of our children struggle with literacy and numeracy, particularly in underserved coastal and hinterland communities. The World Bank reports that 50 percent of second-grade students in Guyana fail to meet foundational academic standards, with even lower rates in the hinterland.

These learning gaps contribute to high dropout rates, low STEM proficiency, and a continued brain drain, as nearly 89 percent of university-educated Guyanese professionals emigrate in search of better opportunities. With Guyana’s economy expanding due to new oil and gas discoveries, it is critical to ensure that our education system can prepare students for the future. As an educator and researcher, I wanted to explore whether artificial intelligence could be used as a tool to close these gaps and improve student learning outcomes.

This led to my study on the impact of AI-powered tutoring in STEMGuyana’s Learning Pods, which serve students across the country. The AI-based tutoring platform, Pathway Online Academy, offers personalized learning experiences in Math, English, Science and Social Studies, using AI-generated quizzes, interactive lessons, and real-time feedback on lessons guided by the Ministry of Education’s curriculum.

To design this study, I had to move beyond technology and explore the psychological and philosophical foundations of education. Understanding how students learn and engage with digital tools was critical to ensuring that AI tutoring would be measured in a meaningful way. Psychological theories suggest that AI tutoring can enhance learning by improving engagement, reducing cognitive overload, and motivating students to take control of their education. Constructivist theory states that learning is most effective when students actively interact with material, which aligns with the interactive AI tutoring approach. Cognitive load theory emphasizes the importance of structuring learning to prevent information overload, which the AI tutor accomplishes by breaking down complex lessons.

Self-determination theory highlights how motivation increases when students feel a sense of autonomy and competence, two qualities that AI tutoring fosters by allowing students to work at their own pace while receiving instant feedback. Research on engagement theory has shown that students who are actively involved in their learning process, spending more time on tasks, interacting with learning materials, and participating in structured lessons, tend to perform better academically.

Philosophical perspectives also played an important role in shaping this study. Pragmatism suggests that learning should be relevant and applicable to real-life situations, a principle that AI tutoring supports by offering personalised, interactive lessons. Technological determinism raises questions about how AI will shape education and whether it will create greater opportunities or widen inequalities. This study seeks to determine whether AI can be a force for equity, particularly for students in underserved regions. Critical pedagogy argues that education should empower students to take an active role in their learning, a principle that AI tutoring supports by allowing students to engage with content in a way that traditional classroom methods may not always accommodate.

The study is structured as a randomized controlled trial, a research method that allows for a clear comparison between students who use the AI-powered platform and those who follow traditional learning methods. The research seeks to determine whether students using AI tutoring perform better in Math and English, whether time spent engaging with the platform directly correlates with improved academic performance, and whether certain AI components, such as the tutoring agent or interactive quizzes, are more effective than others. If the study confirms these hypotheses, it could have profound implications for education in Guyana. Early results have been promising.

Guyana stands on the threshold of a technological revolution, and education must evolve to meet these new challenges. The results of this study could inform policy decisions and help integrate AI into classrooms nationwide, ensuring that students receive the personalized support they need to succeed. If AI tutoring proves to be an effective tool for learning, it could be expanded to serve thousands of students across the country, particularly in regions where teacher shortages and resource limitations have long hindered academic progress.

Education is the foundation of national development, and finding innovative solutions to long-standing challenges is essential. If AI can help close the learning gap and provide students with the skills they need for the future, it is an opportunity worth exploring. This study is just the beginning, but I hope it will lead to a broader conversation about how technology can transform education in Guyana. In the coming months, I look forward to sharing the results and engaging with educators, policymakers, and the public to discuss how AI can be used responsibly and effectively to improve learning outcomes.

The future of Guyana depends on the strength of its education system. It is time to embrace well researched innovative practices which improve student engagement and academic outcomes and ensure that every child, regardless of background, has access to the tools they need to succeed. (Karen Davis, MBA, AA and Doctoral Candidate is the founder STEMGuyana)

(Guyana’s Technology Frontier)

---

• A Researcher’s Perspective, Guyana’s education system, Harnessing AI, Transform Education in Guyana

---