The impact of student-generative artificial intelligence interaction on educational interaction in Chinese nursing students: the mediating role of self-regulated learning

Background Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) is reshaping the medical education field. For nursing students, educational interaction, self-regulated learning, and GAI interaction are all particularly important. However, the relationships among student-GAI interaction, self-regulated learning and educational interaction, as well as the underlying mechanisms, remain underexplored. Methods In January 2025, 1367 nursing students were recruited from one medical university in Hunan Province in China. The Demographics Questionnaire, the Chinese version of Student–GAI interaction scale, the Educational Interaction Scale, and the Self-Regulated Learning Questionnaire were administered. SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 24.0 software were used to analyze the data. Results The mean scores of student-GAI interaction and educational interaction were 15.12 ± 2.23 and 71.26 ± 8.18, respectively. There are significantly positive relationships among student-GAI interaction, self-regulated learning, and educational interaction (all p < 0.01). The regression analysis results indicate that both student–GAI interaction (β = 0.280, P < 0.001) and self-regulated learning (β = 0.596, P < 0.001) are significant positive predictors of educational interactions. Furthermore, student-GAI interaction exerted a substantial direct effect on educational interaction,with a significant direct effect value of 0.99 (P < 0.001). Self-regulated learning mediated the path from student-GAI interaction to educational interaction, with a significant indirect effect value of 0.85. The mediating effect accounted for 46.19% of the total effect (P < 0.001). Conclusions Student-GAI interaction is an important factor influencing educational interaction. It can directly affect educational interaction and also influence it indirectly through self-regulated learning.