Exploring College EFL Teachers' Emotions and Influencing Factors in AI-Assisted Teaching
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in EFL education demonstrates significant potential for enhancing language acquisition and pedagogical efficiency. However, research on the emotions of EFL teachers in AI-assisted teaching remains insufficient. To address this research gap, this exploratory study took a qualitative approach to explore the emotions and the influencing factors of college EFL teachers in AI-assisted teaching. Through in-depth and semi-structured interviews with four college EFL teachers in China and the collection of the reflective journals, the findings reveal that college EFL teachers experienced a variety of positive and negative emotions. Meanwhile, seven factors jointly affect the emotional experience of college EFL teachers: perceived usefulness of AI, social networks, public opinion, national policies, perceived ease in using AI, perceived learning cost and institutional support. Among them, the influence of the first factor is the most significant. This study offers novel empirical insights into college EFL teachers' emotions and enhances understanding of emotional change mechanism in AI-assisted teaching. The research outcomes would be of great help to teachers and educational leaders in formulating relevant policies, teacher training programs, and professional development strategies.
Authors: Qiuhan Yu, Chenming Lyu
Institution: Ludong University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W7225106977