EXPLORING CHATGPT’S ROLE AS AN AUTOMATED WRITING EVALUATION TOOL: A STUDY IN VIETNAMESE HIGH SCHOOL EFL CLASSROOMS

Abstract

Since its launch, ChatGPT has become a widely used tool by students for classroom exercises and home assignments. This study examines the role of ChatGPT as an automatic writing evaluation (AWE) tool in assisting Vietnamese high school students in self-correcting grammar and vocabulary errors in their descriptive writing assignments. The participants were five 18-year-old students at a private high school in Ho Chi Minh City. Before utilizing ChatGPT to revise original drafts, the participants were tasked with writing seven assignments based on Cambridge English Key (KET) exam picture prompts. Data collection included pre- and post-ChatGPT-usage writing assessments, screenshots of revisions, and some questionnaires exploring feedback engagement and reasoning behind acceptance or rejection of ChatGPT’s suggestions. Results showed improved writing, highlighting ChatGPT’s strengths in correcting grammar and enhancing vocabulary. Students engaged deeply with feedback, selectively accepting or rejecting suggestions based on their writing context and demonstrating enhanced self-assessment and learning independence. This autonomy is noteworthy and valuable in large classrooms where teacher feedback is limited. However, the participants expressed mixed levels of trust in the tool, especially when the suggestions seemed unclear or incompatible with their writing style, and often sought teacher validation. While ChatGPT promotes autonomous learning, it should complement, not replace, teacher feedback.