ASSESSING THE CORRELATION AMONG AI LITERACY, DIGITAL ACCESS, AND WORK READINESS: A QUANTITATIVE APPROACH

บทคัดย่อ

This research article aimed to examine the relationship between digital tools usage and AI-related technologies and students’ work readiness for workforce entry, investigate the relationships among components of AI literacy and students’ work readiness in higher education, and examine the interplay of psychological, behavioral, and skill-based factors including technical skills, digital skills, hard skills, soft skills, and self-efficacy with AI literacy in shaping overall work readiness. A quantitative research design was employed, collecting data from 251 fourth-year university students through an online questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s correlation analysis.

          The results revealed that digital tools usage and engagement with AI technologies were modestly but significantly associated with students’ work readiness. AI literacy functioned as a multidimensional construct encompassing cognitive, ethical, and technical competencies and demonstrated a significant relationship with work readiness, although its influence was weaker than that of core human skills. Soft skills, problem-solving abilities, technical competence, and self-efficacy emerged as the strongest predictors of perceived work readiness. the findings suggest that while AI literacy is an important supplementary competency, essential human skills remain central to employability. Embedding AI literacy within broader human-centered and ethical skill development frameworks may provide the most effective approach for preparing graduates for technology-driven work environments.