AN ACTION RESEARCH ON THE APPLICATION OF A DECOPY AI DETECTOR TO IDENTIFY AI-GENERATED CONTENT AND PROMOTE AUTHENTIC WRITING AMONG GRADE EIGHT STUDENTS

Authors: Sofailah L. Latip-Panggaga, Hamdoni K. Pangandaman, Farraniva A. Ismael, Hibah A. Macasayan, Norjaifah A. Balindong, Salma M. Macarambon, Hainie Ditucalan, Hanima A. Habib, Nahara L. Datu & Rogarciano C. Guinggue III

ABSTRACT

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly accessible to students, creating new challenges for academic integrity and authentic writing. This action research examined the classroom use of the Decopy AI detector as an educational checkpoint to identify AI-generated content and encourage authentic writing among Grade Eight students. Thirty-eight students from one section of Mindanao State University–Integrated Laboratory School participated in a two-week classroom intervention in which students completed writing tasks during 55-minute sessions and submitted their work for AI-detection screening. Data sources included student writing outputs, a questionnaire on awareness and attitudes toward writing authenticity, and teacher observations. Descriptive results showed high awareness of AI use in writing and generally high to very high attitudes toward authentic writing. Students also reported generally positive perceptions of the detector as a supportive rather than punitive tool. Across the analyzed writing outputs, the Decopy detector classified 33.55% as AI-generated and 66.45% as authentic. These findings suggest that transparent use of AI-detection technology, combined with explicit instruction on academic integrity and responsible AI use, can support classroom conversations about originality and student responsibility. However, the detector’s classifications should be interpreted as screening indicators rather than definitive proof of authorship, and the findings are limited by the single-school, single-section design, the short intervention period, and the absence of a comparison group.

Keywords: secondary students; Decopy’s detector; authenticity

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