Proficient EFL Learners' Use of AI for Thesis Completion in an Indonesian University: A Case Study Using CHAT Framework

Abstract

Academic writing, especially thesis writing, is a complex process that requires EFL learners to generate ideas, organize, and present arguments, while maintaining academic conventions. For EFL learners, this process is often challenging due to difficulties related to vocabulary choice, grammar, coherence, and expressing ideas confidently. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), AI-based writing tools such as ChatGPT and Grammarly have been increasingly used by learners to assist their process of academic writing practices. Despite these increasing trends of AI integration, how proficient EFL learners engage with AI tools during the thesis writing process and the outcomes remain unexplored. Therefore, this study aims to investigate AI-assisted thesis writing by proficient EFL learners as viewed from the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) framework. This study adopted a qualitative research design and was conducted at one university in Jember, East Java, Indonesia, where English is taught as a foreign language. The participants consisted of 3 proficient EFL undergraduate learners who had been enrolled in academic writing courses and experienced using AI-based writing tools in their thesis writing practices. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews to capture learners’ experiences, strategies, and reflections on their AI usage in academic writing. The data were analysed thematically and interpreted using the elements of CHAT, involving subject, object, tools, rules, community, and division of labour. The findings revealed that the function of AI as a mediating tool supported proficient EFL learners throughout the thesis writing practices. They primarily used AI for brainstorming ideas, translating, improving grammatical accuracy, and enhancing sentence clarity. From the perspective of CHAT, the subject (proficient EFL learners) actively exercised control over the writing process, while AI tools served as supportive resources rather than primary knowledge producers. The object of the activity (successful thesis completion) was achieved through a balanced interaction between human agency and technological assistance. Academic rules and conventions guided the ethical AI use, while the academic community, including supervisors and peers, influenced how AI was integrated into writing practices. Then the division of labour revealed that these proficient EFL learners remained responsible for critical thinking, content development, and decision -making, while AI assisted with linguistic and technical aspects. Furthermore, the study found that balanced and strategic AI usage positively affected both the writing process and product. In terms of process, AI-assisted proficient EFL learners increase efficiency, reduce anxiety, and enhance self-efficacy in thesis writing. In terms of product, they reported improvements in clarity, grammatical accuracy, and overall coherence of texts. However, proficient EFL learners also demonstrated awareness of AI limitations and emphasized the importance of cross-checking the outputs of AI with other academic sources to maintain academic integrity. In summary, this study indicates that proficient EFL learners engage with AI tools consciously and strategically, which assists and supports, rather than replaces, their development of academic writing. The findings suggest that AI, when used ethically in balance with the agency of the human writer, can contribute positively to sustainable academic writing practices. The study also emphasized the importance of providing clear guidance for AI use in the academic context, and gives insights for educators and future researchers to further explore AI-mediated writing in the EFL setting.