From Innovation to Practice: Moroccan EFL Teachers’ Perceptions of AI-Enhanced Language Instruction

Abstract

By leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, the new AI tools are making its participation in improving the quality of educational practices limitless. Even though the amount of research conducted on teachers’ perceptions from an international perspective is significant, little attention is paid to research on EFL teachers’ perceptions and integration of AI tools in the field of English language teaching from a Moroccan perspective. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to investigate Moroccan EFL teachers’ perceptions and insights into how the new AI tools and platforms can be used for enhancing both their instructional and pedagogical language teaching practices. By adopting a qualitative case study design, the study examined Moroccan EFL teachers’ perceptions and gained insights into how AI tools are manipulated by teachers in Moroccan EFL language classrooms. By conducting a GoTo webinar on AI integration in English language teaching focusing on Midelt directorate as a case study, 22 Moroccan EFL teachers participated and 12 were selected based not only on voluntary participation but also on having ≥3 years’ teaching experience as well as acquaintance with AI in general. The researcher gathered data through conducting semi-structured interviews and focus groups. The data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. With the help of NVivo 12, the researcher was able to successfully establish member checking and achieve 81% inter-coder agreement. The findings showed that Moroccan EFL teachers hold positive perceptions on integrating AI tools in language teaching. The data analysis also revealed that AI tools offer promising opportunities for promoting Moroccan EFL teachers’ pedagogical teaching practices in terms of creating personalized learning environment, generating lesson plans, creating content as well as enriching their teaching resources. To sum up, the findings undoubtedly contribute to the broader body of literature on understanding how AI can improve language teaching and learning, while also addressing challenges related to teachers’ AI literacy and continuous professional development regarding AI integration in ELT from a Moroccan educational perspective.