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Research Topic/Title: EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF AI WRITING TOOLS ON
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS’ WRITING PROFICIENCY: A
PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY
1. Description of the Study
1.1. Rationale
Writing, as part of macro skill, is a fundamental skill that remarkably contributes to
academic success, as it promotes creativity, critical thinking and also
communication skills. Having efficient writing skills are crucial in all parts of
different disciplines and are frequently used to gauge students’ understanding of
complex concepts. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years have led
to the availability of tools and services for writing that have radically reshaped the
process of authoring and editing. Those developments are having a profound
effect in education generally on language learning (Jones, 2022). The AI-powered
writing tools such as ChatGPT, Quillbot, Cici, and Grammarly promise to escalate
student’s writing by giving or providing instant corrections, suggestions, and
generation of contents. These tools provide significant prospects to support
students in honing their writing abilities, making the writing process more effective
and attainable.
However, given the benefits of AI writing tools, there are concerns about the
potential negative impact of its widespread use on cognitive abilities, particularly in
academic writing (Liu et al., 2023). Some argue that the over-reliance on AI for
editing and content creation may undermine students' ability to develop
independent critical thinking and writing strategies. Additionally, the use of these
tools raises questions about academic integrity, originality, and the deep
understanding of content (Brown, 2022; Lee, 2023). While AI tools offer a
supportive role, their potential to decrease essential writing skills and creativity
must be carefully evaluated to understand the long-term consequences.
This study aims to explore the influence of AI writing tools on students' writing
practices particularly the English language learners. It will explore how these tools
affect students' ability to think critically and their writing skills.
1. Objectives of the Study
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2.1 General
The general objective of this study is to explore the impact of AI
writing tools on English language learners’ writing proficiency at the
University of Mindanao Digos College. It will explore how these tools
affect students' ability to think critically and their writing skills.
1.1. Specific
1. To explore the different AI writing tools used by the students.
2. To navigate the different features of AI tools that impact the writing
skills among students.
3. To identify the developed soft and hard skills using the tools.
3. Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
Figure 1. Technology acceptance model (Davis, 1989; Davis et al., 1989)
Davis (1989) introduced the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which
builds on the theory of reasoned action (TRA) to explore how users' internal
considerations influence their acceptance of technology. According to Davis (1989)
and Davis et al. (1989), TAM measures three key components of user beliefs:
perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitude toward usage. Perceived
usefulness reflects users' trust in technology's ability to enhance their performance,
while perceived ease of use suggests that integrating technology requires minimal
effort and learning time. Attitude towards usage refers to users' emotional responses
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to a specific technology. Teo (2019) supports this framework, noting that students
consider the usability and convenience of technology, along with its applicability to
learning objectives, technical proficiency, and accessibility when adopting learning
tools.
4. Methodology
Research Participants
The respondents of this study will be English Language Learners of the
University of Mindanao Digos College from all four-year levels (1st year to 4th
year). Respondents will be selected through purposive sampling in which
participants are chosen deliberately, not randomly, to align with specific study
objectives. Sampling will continue within 15 respondents until data saturation is
reached. In phenomenological studies, 5 up to 15 participants are sufficient to
achieve saturation (Fenelayson et al., 2019). The respondents will be informed
of their rights to withdraw from the study at any time. This ensures that
participation is entirely voluntary and that participants feel free to express their
perspectives openly.
Research Design
This study will be using the qualitative research design in concurrence
with phenomenological study to investigate the impact of AI writing tools on
English language learners' writing proficiency. Phenomenological study aims
to explain the nature of things utilizing human experiences. It necessitates an
in-depth understanding of the participants' thoughts and interpretations of the
phenomenon (Good, 2023). By employing this research design, the study aims
to provide a deep and nuanced understanding of how various AI writing tools
are used and perceived by English Language Learners at the University of
Mindanao Digos College. This design will allow the researchers to explore the
diverse experiences and viewpoints of English Language Learners about how
these AI writing tools affect their writing skills.
Data Gathering Procedure
This study will make use of a phenomenological approach wherein
thematic patterning will be established using the framework of analysis by
Braun and Clarke. Yardley (2024) states that Braun and Clarke's thematic
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analysis is essentially a process for identifying patterns or themes within
qualitative data. This framework of analysis will help the researchers discover
patterns, themes, and underlying meanings which provide an intricate
understanding of the respondents' perspectives and experiences. Braun and
Clarke (2006) provide six (6)-phase coding frameworks for thematic analysis
which will be used to identify themes and patterns in the data (see Table 1).
Table 1: Braun & Clarke’s six-phase framework for doing a thematic analysis
Step 1: Familiarization of the data Step 4: Reviewing Themes
Step 2: Initial Coding Step 5: Defining and Naming Themes
Step 3: Generating Initial Themes Step 6: Interpretation and Reporting
To gather and collect information, the researchers will conduct an in-depth
interview with 15 participants. According to Bhat (2024), in-depth interviews are
qualitative data collection methods wherein a significant amount of information about
the participants' behaviour, attitudes, and perceptions can be obtained. Integrating
this method will allow the researchers to gain more insights about the experiences,
feelings, and standpoints of the respondents.
The data to be gathered from the participants will be analyzed using Braun
and Clarke's six-phase approach to thematic analysis. First, the researchers will
immerse in the data by familiarizing its content. Next, determining whether the
particular pieces of the content are essential to the research topic and attaching
labels to those pieces to support the organization and categorization of the
information. Then, generating the initial themes by analyzing the data with certain
preconceptions that influence the way the researchers come up with themes. After
that, review and refine the themes. This could entail splitting one theme up into
separate themes, combining certain themes, and discarding some of them, ensuring
that the themes are compelling. Subsequently, in defining and naming themes, the
researchers will determine, label, and provide a brief description that encapsulates
the essence of each theme. Lastly, the researchers will provide a detailed
description of each theme, citing several examples from the data, and a discussion
of the findings' broader implications. By using this six-phase approach to thematic
analysis, the researchers will be able to identify important insights and understand
the meanings present in the information being studied.
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5. Research Agenda: Language Policies and Literacy
a. Research Trust: Ensure inclusive andequitable quality
education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
b. Research Program Thrust: Language and Literature
c. Assessment
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B. Research Project Duration: One Term
Prepared by:
Santos, Kyla
Silva, Kristine
Surposa, Juan Miguel
Proponent
September 17, 2024
Date Accomplished:
Endorsed by:
ANA MAE MONTEZA, PHD
Subject Instructor/Program Head
