EFL Students’ Engagement, Technology Acceptance, and Self-Regulatory Experiences During ChatGPT-Assisted Presentation Preparation: A Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

This mixed-methods study explores how EFL university students experienced ChatGPT-assisted preparation for presentation-based tasks, with particular attention to technology acceptance, task engagement, peer feedback, and reported self-regulatory processes. Using a within-subject design, an intact class of 29 students participated in 20 instructional sessions involving five language areas (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, and Grammar & Vocabulary). Traditional and ChatGPT-assisted preparation sessions were incorporated into the instructional sequence, and both types of preparation were followed by structured cross-group peer review. Data were collected through pre-and post-task surveys, peer-review activities, and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative measures assessed perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, behavioral intention, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement, and problem-solving and creativity; they did not directly constitute a validated multidimensional measure of self-regulated learning (SRL). Qualitative data were therefore used to examine students’ reported experiences of planning, monitoring, verification, reflection, collaboration, and evaluation through the lens of Zimmerman’s SRL framework. Survey scores increased significantly for perceived usefulness, behavioral intention, behavioral engagement, and cognitive engagement; perceived ease of use remained stable, while emotional engagement and problem-solving/creativity did not change significantly. Interview findings suggest that ChatGPT supported planning, idea generation, organization, and confidence, but students also reported reduced group discussion, concerns about critical thinking and memory retention, and the need to verify AI-generated information. These findings suggest that ChatGPT may support some self-regulatory experiences while also creating tensions between efficiency, active cognitive engagement, and peer collaboration.