Speaker
Description
Abstract: The effectiveness of Generative AI (GenAI) in supporting academic writing has intensified the reliance of higher education students on AI-assisted tools. While studies in Vietnam have acknowledged its growing manifestations, especially among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students, the contributing factors in academic contexts remain under-researched. This study aims to fill the gap by first measuring the level of reliance on AI-assisted tools among English-major students at a private university in Vietnam, before exploring how this behavior is multidimensionally developed, using Bandura's (1986) Triadic Reciprocal Causation model in Social Cognitive Theory. To address these objectives, an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach was adopted. Quantitative data were first gathered from an online survey (n=100), followed by semi-structured interviews (n=10). Quantitative findings indicated a high level of behavioral reliance of students on AI-assisted tools for writing (M = 4.14). Students explained in interviews that this behavior was largely driven by cognitive factors, such as their perceived linguistic weakness (mostly grammar and vocabulary), and limited ability to access learning materials appropriate to their current proficiency level. They also revealed influences from classrooms, which were the high academic pressure from the mismatch between course requirements and students’ actual competence, and the hesitation to seek support from teachers, resulting from a hierarchical teacher-student relationship. Furthermore, the results uncovered their ambiguous attitudes and limited awareness of AI misconduct. This underscores the critical need for additional support and instructions from instructors throughout writing lessons, as well as transparent AI policies to deter potential academic violations.
Keywords: Generative AI (GenAI) reliance, AI-assisted writing, Academic integrity, English Language Teaching (ELT), EFL students, Bandura's Triadic Reciprocal Causation
Biography
Pham Thuy Linh is a Lecturer in English at the Faculty of English, East Asia University of Technology (Vietnam). She holds an MSc in Educational Leadership and Management from the University of East Anglia (UK) and a CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) awarded by Cambridge English. Her research interests focus on psychological factors influencing language learning, AI-assisted language education, and educational innovation in EFL contexts.
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