Speaker
Description
Tertiary education is undergoing an unprecedented transformation driven by advancement in generative artificial intelligence (genAI), markedly expanding learners’ access to language resources. Particularly in English-Medium Instruction (EMI) settings, English learners can now utilize simple prompts via tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to navigate academic writing tasks. Nevertheless, balancing AI-supported efficiency while still maintaining students’critical thinking, personal voice, and autonomy remains an important topic of research for lecturers and educational experts. Drawing on Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this qualitative study investigates students’perceptions of the role of AI-assisted tools in their academic essay writing practices. Through semi-structured interviews, this paper explores how students use AI as a scaffold for writing development, and how they manage the tensions concerning linguistic competency and academic agency. The findings offer an actionable framework for practitioners to integrate AI tools as reflective scaffolds that foster learners’ autonomy, integrity, and writing efficacy.
Key words: Generative AI (GenAI), students’ autonomy, English-Medium Instruction (EMI), academic essay writing, learner agency.
