Abstract
Higher mathematics is a core component of STEM and engineering education; however, many students encounter difficulties in developing conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills. This study examines students’ use of artificial intelligence-based chatbots to support learning in higher mathematics within a personalized learning framework. The empirical basis of the study consists of a cross-sectional anonymous online survey conducted at Saken Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical University (Kazakhstan) (n = 154). The results of the descriptive analysis indicate that 72% of respondents reported an understanding of chatbot operating principles, 49% used chatbots “as needed,” and 7% reported very frequent use. The most common areas of chatbot application were the computation of derivatives and integrals (44%) and graph plotting (28%). Among the most frequently perceived benefits, respondents highlighted explanations of complex topics (45%) and rapid access to problem solutions (28%). At the same time, the main perceived limitations included insufficient accuracy of responses (42%) and difficulties in entering mathematical expressions (35%). Overall, the findings suggest that students primarily perceive chatbots as on-demand support tools for computational tasks and conceptual explanations, while concerns related to accuracy and usability remain significant barriers to their broader adoption in the educational process.