Navigating the Ai-Assisted Writing: Tertiary EFL Learners’ Narratives of Using AI Tools in Undergraduate Thesis Writing

Abstract

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) in a relatively short span of time has changed the way academic writing is done in higher institutions of learning, particularly among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students, who are likely to have issues with linguistic and academic writing. Despite previous studies on the effectiveness of AI-aided tools in improving students' writing performance, few have delved into the lived experiences of students using AI in the thesis-writing process. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the experiences of EFL undergraduate students with AI-assisted tools in writing their undergraduate theses and in negotiating the use of AI in the process. A qualitative narrative inquiry design was used in this research. Five students who had participated in the English Language Education Program and produced theses using AI-assisted tools were purposively selected as participants. Semi-structured narrative interviews were used in data collection and analyzed by narrative analysis and cross-case thematic narrative analysis. The results indicated five related themes. Firstly, AI was used as cognitive and linguistic support, helping to generate ideas, outline them, paraphrase, check grammar, translate, and formulate academic language. Second, the participants negotiated trust in AI by practicing continuous verification and cross-checking due to doubts about information inaccuracies and fake references. Third, the participants maintained an authorial voice and academic legitimacy by revising and tailoring AI-created writings. Fourth, tensions arose among participants in the form of high self-esteem and dependency fears, decreased critical thinking, and intellectual freedom. Finally, social and institutional factors such as peer interaction, supervisor support, and institutional rules also affected the participants' AI practices. The study concludes that AI-supported thesis writing is a socially situated and ethically negotiated process in which students continuously seek a balance between technology use and human agency. Instead of substituting for human authorship, AI was used as an auxiliary tool that the participants never overlooked, and they still retained accountability for comprehending, interpreting, and being the final author.