Examining Korean EFL College Students’ Experiences and Perceptions of Using ChatGPT as a Writing Revision Tool

Abstract

This study investigates the experiences and perceptions of Korean college students regarding the use of ChatGPT as a tool for revising paragraphs in a general English course focused on academic writing skills. A total of 71 student participants completed a survey questionnaire about their perceived benefits and challenges in employing ChatGPT for writing revision and anticipated teacher roles in the process. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and thematic analysis methods were used. The findings reveal a positive reception from the students. They expressed satisfaction with the use of ChatGPT for their paragraph revisions, indicating that its feedback was helpful and trustworthy. The benefits of ChatGPT included the convenience of its instant responses, unrestricted use across time and space, and accurate error correction in areas such as vocabulary, grammar, and paragraph flow. Some challenges were also raised, such as the lack of error descriptions, incomprehensible feedback, misalignment of responses, concerns about diminished authorship, and uncertainty about learning effectiveness. These findings suggest the potential of ChatGPT as a supplementary tool for writing revision, emphasizing the importance of a balanced approach between AI-driven and human feedback. The study also underscores the crucial role of teachers in effectively integrating ChatGPT into writing instruction.

La espada de doble filo: beneficios y desafíos que las herramientas de inteligencia artificial pueden traer a la enseñanza y aprendizaje del inglés como lengua extranjera

“…Regarding students, their most commonly used tool in EFL contexts is ChatGPT (see annex 2). It was found in 13 sources (Ahmed, 2023;Aljabr, 2023;Alrasheedi, 2023;Bok & Cho, 2023;Chan & Hu, 2023;Denecke et al, 2023;Han et al, 2023;Harunasari, 2023;Malik et al, 2023;Sol et al, 2024;Song & Song, 2023;Sotelo Muñoz et al, 2023;Xiao & Zhi, 2023) out of the 50 which is 26% of the initial works. Besides, Grammarly occupied the second place.…”

“…The most significant codes of the subcategory Students' Experience are "satisfying," found in 22 works or 44% of the 50 sources and "helpful" encountered in 33 works or 66%. In regard of the first code, Bok and Cho (2023) investigated the distinct experiences and perceptions of a group of 71 college students about the utilization of ChatGPT to check paragraphs in an English course on academic writing. Consequently, they found a feeling of satisfaction with the AI tool among the learners.…”

“…The most important codes of Students' Experience were "satisfying" and "helpful" (see Figure 2). Learners considered these technologies as satisfying because they can assist them in checking paragraphs (Bok & Cho, 2023) or they can provide useful corrections (Chang et al, 2021). Moreover, students saw them as helpful since they can aid in improving vocabulary or in correcting grammar (Aljabr, 2023) and because they can help them with their writing process (Harunasari, 2023).…”