Decoding student cognitive abilities: a comparative study of explainable AI algorithms in educational data mining

Exploring students’ cognitive abilities has long been an important topic in education. This study employs data-driven artificial intelligence (AI) models supported by explainability algorithms and PSM causal inference to investigate the factors influencing students’ cognitive abilities, and it delved into the differences that arise when using various explainability AI algorithms to analyze educational data mining models. In this paper, five AI models were used to model educational data. Subsequently, four interpretable algorithms, including feature importance, Morris Sensitivity, SHAP, and LIME, were used to globally interpret the results, and PSM causal tests were performed on the factors that affect students’ cognitive abilities. The results reveal that self-perception and parental expectations have a certain impact on students’ cognitive abilities, as indicated by all algorithms. Our work also uncovers that different explainability algorithms exhibit varying preferences and inclinations when interpreting the model, as evidenced by discrepancies in the top ten features highlighted by each algorithm. Morris Sensitivity presents a more balanced perspective, while SHAP and feature importance reflect the diversity of interpretable algorithms, and LIME shows a unique perspective. This detailed observation highlights the practical contribution of interpretable AI algorithms in the field of educational data mining, paving the way for more refined applications and deeper insights in future research.