Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Educational Psychology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1514545
This article is part of the Research Topic Demystifying Academic Writing in Higher Education: A Process View on Academic Textual Production View all 4 articles

EFL Learners' Motivation and Acceptance of Using Large Language Models in English Academic Writing: An UTAUT Analysis

Provisionally accepted
Qingran Wang Qingran Wang *
  • School of Foreign Studies, China University of Political Science and Law, Haidian, Beijing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Large language models (LLMs), represented by ChatGPT, are one of the most significant technological breakthroughs in generative AI and have begun to be applied in EFL writing instruction. This study recruited 238 participants who had completed one semester of training in using LLMs for business-related English academic writing. Participants answered question items based on the L2 Motivational Self System and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to examine the structural relationships between the variables of motivation region, previous learning experience, and the UTAUT model. The results show that performance expectancy and social influence significantly affect learners' behavioral intention to use LLMs. Moreover, motivation proved to be a key factor in shaping both behavioral intention and actual use behavior, highlighting its crucial role in the adoption of technology for learning English academic writing.

    Keywords: LLMS, Academic writing, Motivation, Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), EFL courses

    Received: 21 Oct 2024; Accepted: 18 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Qingran Wang, School of Foreign Studies, China University of Political Science and Law, Haidian, 100088, Beijing, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.