Scaffolding Critical Engagement with GenAI in Ethnic Minority Education

A research study focused on design explored how pedagogical scaffolding can shift the engagement of ethnic minority preparatory students with generative AI (GenAI) from mere consumption to active co-creation. Conducted with 78 students in China over a three-week GenAI course, the study included a human-in-the-loop workflow and teacher modeling using contrasting cases. Various analytical methods were utilized, including epistemic network analysis for collaborative discourse, thematic analysis for student reflections, and paired-samples t-tests to evaluate changes in prompt self-efficacy. Results indicate that this scaffolding approach can reduce cognitive laziness, encouraging students to view GenAI as a collaborative partner and enhancing equitable educational outcomes by improving access to resources and lowering language barriers. The findings were published on arXiv under identifier 2607.28630.