EFL university students’ perceptions of ChatGPT’s impact on English writing content

Abstract

This study investigates EFL students’ perceptions of ChatGPT’s impact on academic writing at the University of Economics, Da Nang, Vietnam, focusing on idea development, idea expansion, logical organisation, and the use of discourse markers. A mixed-methods design was used to examine both general trends and detailed learner perspectives. Quantitative data were collected through a Likert-scale questionnaire administered to 134 B1-level students, while semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants selected from the survey sample. The findings indicate moderately positive to positive perceptions of ChatGPT’s contribution to writing content, particularly in idea generation, idea expansion, and textual organisation. Interview participants expressed greater confidence in its benefits than survey respondents. However, both data sources raised concerns about over-reliance on AI, weakened writing autonomy, and possible declines in idea quality. Among these concerns, the threat to students’ writing independence was considered the most significant. Overall, ChatGPT was perceived as a valuable tool for supporting academic writing, but unregulated use may hinder the development of independent writing skills. The study therefore highlights the need for pedagogically informed AI integration that maintains established writing standards, encourages critical evaluation of AI-generated content, and promotes learner autonomy in EFL writing instruction.