Reframing Academic Writing with Chatgpt: A Self-Determination Theory Approach

Abstract

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT is changing the nature of academic writing by providing support in generating ideas, developing content, revision and editing. Although writing with AI offers benefits, little is known about its impact on learners’ writing strategies and motivation. Guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study examines the relationship between competence, autonomy, and relatedness in academic writing in the context of ChatGPT usage. This quantitative study involved 126 respondents from higher educational institutions. A 43-item Likert-scale questionnaire adapted from Raoofi et al. (2017) and Youssef et al. (2024) was used to collect data. The questionnaire was based on three constructs: autonomy, relatedness, and competence and showed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .937). Data were analysed using descriptive, inferential, and correlation analyses in SPSS. Results show positive perceptions of using ChatGPT in improving academic achievement, critical thinking skills, and the motivation of students. Moreover, participants used metacognitive, cognitive, and effort-regulating writing strategies frequently. ChatGPT is a potential scaffold for supporting learners’ writing development, but it also motivates them by increasing their competence, autonomy, and relatedness.