<p>Model fit indicators.</p>

Drawing on data from 424 survey responses and in-depth interviews with eight students, this study constructs and examines a chain path model of Exploration–Exploitation–Co-Creation–Reflection to investigate how GAI-assisted learning processes are associated with students’ creativity.

Quantitative analyses indicate that exploratory and exploitative behaviors are positively associated with creativity, and these associations are observed alongside perceived cognitive stimulation. Furthermore, co-creation and reflection are significantly associated with flow experience and creative self-efficacy, which are related to students’ creative performance. The qualitative findings complement the quantitative results by showing that students’ engagement in exploration, knowledge utilization, collaborative co-creation, and reflection during GAI-assisted learning is accompanied by cognitive inspiration and psychological engagement.