"强者越强"抑或"弱者补偿"OA

With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GenAI)and the continued expansion of graduate e-ducation,whether GenAI-supported learning widens competency gaps among students with different academic foundations or provides compensatory support has become a critical issue for educational equity and the high-quality development of graduate education.Drawing on survey data from 3436 graduate students in engineering professional degree programs,this study investigates the differen-tial effects of GenAI use on students' professional competencies across varying levels of academic preparedness,and the underlying mechanisms.The results show that GenAI use is positively correlated with students' professional competencies,and such correlation is stronger among students with weaker academic foundations,indicating a certain"compensatory effect for the disadvantaged."This ef-fect is mediated by learning interest,whereas the mediating role of learning engagement is not statistically significant.Further,al-though supervisor's research guidance positively predicts students' professional competencies,it does not significantly moderate the relationship between GenAI use and professional competencies.Based on these findings,this study suggests that greater efforts should be made to leverage the potential of GenAI in promoting equity in graduate education,support students with weaker academic founda-tions in shifting from interest stimulation to sustained learning engagement,and integrate the learning support offered by both GenAI and supervisors for students with relatively insufficient academic preparation.