AI ‐Driven Instruction and Its Influence on EFL Learners' Self‐Efficacy, Self‐Regulation, and Grit

Abstract

Incorporating AI into language education has shaped new opportunities to increase learners' psychological resources; however, evidence on how AI‐driven instruction influences key traits such as self‐efficacy, self‐regulation and grit remains limited. To address this gap, the present research examined the effect of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) teaching intervention on these constructs among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. To this end, 123 Chinese EFL learners were selected and assigned to experimental and control groups and received the same syllabus content within 10 weeks. The two groups received the same syllabus material, but the experimental group engaged with an AI Chabot that offered adaptive learning support, customized encouragement and immediate feedback. On the contrary, the control group received conventional teacher‐centred teaching through a traditional context. Pre‐ and post‐intervention assessments measured variations in learners' self‐efficacy, self‐regulation and grit. Results from running one‐way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) indicated that the AI Chabot intervention significantly enhanced learners' psychological traits compared to traditional instruction. Indeed, these findings confirm that AI‐driven instruction substantially improved EFL learners' self‐efficacy, self‐regulation and grit, with the most significant gains observed in self‐efficacy. These results suggest that AI‐driven teaching can serve as an effective tool for strengthening learners' psychological competencies in EFL contexts.