ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) OR INTELLIGENT ASSISTANCE (IA)? PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF AI INTEGRATION IN ESL ACADEMIC WRITING CLASSES
Keywords:
Academic Writing, AI Assisted Instruction, AI in Education, AI, ESL, IA, Writing SkillsAbstract
The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has influenced and reshaped nearly every aspect of social life, and with its widespread and heightened fame, has brought both positive and negative impacts. In the education sector, particularly in academic contexts, AI has transformed teaching and learning practices. At one extreme, it is glorified for its potential, while at the other, it is considered destructive because it encourages malpractice in academia. In this regard, empirical evidence on AI's potential to assist or harm is necessary; therefore, this quasi-experimental study adopted a mixed-methods research design to explore the impact of AI integration on the academic writing skills of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. The experimental group was taught using an AI intervention, while the control group received a traditional instructional treatment. Quantitative data from the experimental group's pre-test and post-test revealed significant improvement in ESL learners' writing scores as compared to the control group. The findings from qualitative data suggest a positive impact of AI on academic writing classes, including increased learner engagement, autonomy, and overall proficiency. In contrast, the control group showed greater reliance on teacher feedback and peer interaction, with lower learner autonomy. The results highlight that AI intervention in writing instruction can enhance pedagogical value by complementing traditional teaching methods and promoting learner autonomy.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sabah Shafique, Sadaf Sania, Nasreen Fatima, Noman Ayaz (Author)
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