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Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on Artificial Intelligence, No. 3. 2026. Pp.5-25
English Language Institute, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Developing writing skills is a central goal for English as a Foreign Language learners, yet large class sizes frequently limit instructors’ ability to provide timely and individualized Written Corrective Feedback. This study investigated how receiving corrective feedback from ChatGPT, compared with instructor feedback, influences Saudi English learners’ writing motivation and their experiences and perceptions in paragraph writing. The significance of the study lies in clarifying how AI-mediated feedback may support learners’ autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as conceptualized by Self-Determination Theory. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was adopted. Survey data from 52 preparatory-year students were analyzed descriptively, and interview data from 13 participants were examined through content analysis to identify themes related to motivation and feedback experiences. Findings revealed that learners valued ChatGPT’s immediacy and personalized explanations, and reported improvements in sentence structure, vocabulary use, and organization. Concerns about accuracy and occasional irrelevance persisted, and participants emphasized the continued importance of instructor guidance. The study concludes with the recommendation that ChatGPT be integrated as a complementary feedback tool to enhance writing development while maintaining teacher oversight to ensure accuracy and pedagogical appropriateness.
Barzanji, A. M., & Alsofyani, A.H. (2026). Exploring Saudi EFL Learners’ Motivation and Perceptions of ChatGPT and Instructor Feedback in Paragraph Writing. Arab World English Journal, Special Issue on Artificial Intelligence, (3): 5-25
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Dr. Abrar Alsofyani is an assistant professor at the English Language Institute, King Abdulaziz University. She earned her Ph.D. in Technology in Education and Second Language Acquisition from the University of South Florida. Her research interests include ESL pedagogy, corrective feedback, reading strategies and comprehension, and AI in education. She also received a fellowship in Artificial Intelligence for Education and Research. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0774-9198
Dr. Amal Barzanji is an assistant professor at Taiba University. She earned her Ph.D. in Technology in Education and Second Language Acquisition from the University of South Florida. Her Master’s was in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Central Florida (2016). She received her B.A. in English language from Taibah University (2007). Her research interests include L2 writing, error analysis, language transfer, interlanguage, written corrective feedback, multimodal feedback, multimodal composition, multi-word expressions, and technology-based instruction.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3918-1573