Speakers
Description
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT and Gemini is fundamentally reshaping English language teaching (ELT), yet teacher readiness to navigate this field remains uneven. This study investigates the extent to which EFL teachers perceive themselves as AI-literate and identifies specific self-perceived gaps in their beliefs and confidence. Grounded in the multi-dimensional AI literacy framework, the research evaluates four core dimensions: technical proficiency, critical evaluation, ethical awareness, and pedagogical integration. While current research highlights generally positive teacher attitudes toward AI’s potential for personalized instruction and efficiency, there is a noted "belief-practice gap" where positive perceptions do not always translate into classroom implementation. Using a Descriptive Quantitative survey design, data were collected from in-service EFL teachers at Vietnamese universities and language centers to map out their confidence levels across diverse instructional tasks. The findings reveal a phenomenon of "aware incompetence", portrayed by high ethical consciousness regarding AI risks (e.g., bias and academic integrity) alongside significant confidence gaps in technical problem-solving and complex pedagogical application. Furthermore, the study explores how demographic factors, including years of teaching experience and institutional support, correlate with literacy levels, noting that younger educators often report higher self-efficacy. These insights emphasize that effective AI adoption in ELT requires moving beyond basic technical training toward professional development that encourages reflective practice and pedagogical agency. Ultimately, this survey provides a prerequisite for designing targeted interventions that bridge confidence gaps and empower teachers to serve as AI-aware facilitators in the digital era.
Keywords: AI literacy, EFL teacher perceptions, confidence gaps, teacher beliefs, pedagogical integration, ethical awareness, Vietnamese education.
