The Influence of Students' Independent Use of Generative AI Tools on the EFL Writing Classroom: Recommendations for Students, Teachers, and Policymakers

Abstract

This research explores the influence of generative AI tools on the EFL writing classroom through the lens of Complexity Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST), particularly with regard to the influence on classroom dynamics. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with both teachers and students using an exploratory qualitative design. The results show that generative AI has disrupted writing classroom dynamics and resulted in a shift in assessment and classroom instructions. Also, since the rise of generative AI, noticeable changes have occurred in students’ writing. These tools have changed both the way they write and what they produce. The advent of generative AI has led to the emergence of new patterns changing the way that students engage with writing, changing teacher-student interactions, and ongoing feedback loops acting on steering classroom practices. These insights imply that the advent of generative AI has resulted in challenges and opportunities in EFL writing classrooms. These results highlight the adaptive nature of the writing classroom as a complex dynamic system, where stability and change coexist. The research concludes with recommendations for students, teachers, and policymakers on how to balance AI’s challenges and opportunities facing EFL writing classrooms.