The emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has introduced new possibilities for English language teaching, especially regarding academic writing, a skill that English as a foreign language (EFL) undergraduates often struggle with. These possibilities highlight the need for enhanced instructional approaches. However, research on one area related to GenAI writing instruction, EFL teachers’ cognition, i.e., what teachers know, believe, and think about, and their classroom practices, remains limited, especially within the context of higher education in mainland China. Using qualitative methods, our study addresses this gap by examining EFL teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, and practices regarding the integration of GenAI into academic writing instruction. Four university teachers of academic writing were purposively selected based on their experience and engagement or interest in using GenAI tools for educational purposes. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed and thematically analysed to identify recurring patterns and salient themes. A preliminary analysis revealed that the teachers perceived GenAI as a potentially valuable tool for enhancing academic writing instruction, with notable applications in task design, material development, and instructional reflection. Nonetheless, integration remained limited and tentative, guided more by intuition than by systematic or confident implementation. The teachers highlighted uncertainties about effective pedagogical strategies and the absence of clear guidelines for instructional use. Overall, our findings provide a nuanced understanding of how teachers negotiate pedagogical opportunities and challenges when adopting GenAI in higher education, offering insights for professional learning strategies that support its responsible and effective integration into writing instruction.

Authors:
Yuxi Wang, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong
Edsoulla Chung, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong

About the Presenter(s)
Ms Yuxi Wang is a PhD student in English Language Education at Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong, China. Her current research explores university English teachers' integration of GenAI in academic writing instruction in mainland China.

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