EXPLORING EFL STUDENTS’ USE OF AI AND THEIR RESPONSES TO AI FEEDBACK IN THE SELF-REGULATED WRITING PROCESS OF RESEARCH PROPOSALS

RIZKA AYU RAHMAWATI, Atik Umamah, Alfan Zuhairi

Abstract


This study was conducted due to the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) among EFL students in writing academic texts. It aims to explore how students use AI and how they respond to AI feedback during their self-regulated writing process. Specifically, this study addresses the following questions: (1) How do EFL students use AI during the forethought, performance, and self-reflection phases of their self-regulated writing process? (2) How do EFL students respond to AI feedback during these three phases? This research uses a single qualitative case study design conducted at a private university in Malang. The participants were three students from the English Education Study Program who were taking the Research Proposal Seminar course. Research data were collected through an initial survey to identify the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by students, followed by in-depth interviews to explore their reasons and experiences in interacting with AI during the writing process. The interview data were analyzed using Thematic Analysis. Additionally, this research also uses documentation in the form of screenshots of students' interactions with AI tools. The documentation data is analyzed using adapted visual ethnography analysis to understand how students use AI during the writing process. The findings show that students use AI not only for surface-level tasks but also to generate ideas, explore vocabulary variations, and evaluate their writing. In responding to AI feedback, students do not accept all suggestions directly. Instead, they review, select, and adjust the feedback based on their needs. This indicates that students actively manage their self-regulated writing (SRW) process. In addition, the use of AI helps increase students’ confidence, as long as they remain in control of their writing. In conclusion, AI has strong potential as a supportive tool in the process of writing research proposals. However, human support remains essential, especially in helping students develop critical thinking skills and maintain the originality of their ideas. Therefore, it is recommended that educators guide students in using AI wisely, so that AI can be used as a support tool rather than a replacement for independent thinking.

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