Rasyidi, Aura Henidar (2025) Efl students' perceptions of using ai technology and ethical strategies for completing their undergraduate theses / Aura Henidar Rasyidi. Masters thesis, Universitas Negeri Malang.
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
The 21st-century technological revolution has significantly impacted higher education particularly in the context of EFL students utilizing AI technology for their undergraduate thesis completion. This phenomenon raises important questions about the balance between technological assistance and academic integrity. While AI technology offers substantial support for students struggling with academic writing its integration into educational contexts has generated considerable debate among educators and researchers regarding appropriate usage and ethical boundaries. This study identifies EFL students rsquo perceptions of AI technology usage in their thesis writing process and reveal the ethical strategies they employ to maintain academic integrity. The research addresses the growing need to understand how students navigate the complex landscape of AI technology assisted academic writing while adhering to established scholarly principles. Given the absence of clear institutional guidelines in many educational settings students often develop frameworks for ethical AI technology usage creating diverse approaches and attitudes toward this technology. The research employed a mixed-method design to comprehensively examine this issue. Seventy-two EFL undergraduate students from the Faculty of Letters at Universitas Negeri Malang Indonesia participated in the study representing both English Language Education (ELE) and English Language and Literature (ELL) programs. Data collection involved two primary instruments a structured questionnaire with 20 items (10 items addressing AI technology usage perceptions and 10 items exploring ethical strategy perceptions) and in-depth interviews with selected participants. The questionnaire utilized a Likert scale format while interviews provided more profound insights into students rsquo perceptions about AI technology and their ethical strategies for completing their undergraduate theses. The data analysis was conducted using SPSS 24 for quantitative data complemented by qualitative analysis of interview transcripts. The findings show that EFL students maintain predominantly positive perceptions toward AI technology integration in their thesis writing as evidenced by an overall mean score of 3.85. Students value AI technology s ability to provide vocabulary options (mean score 4.21 on a 5-point Likert scale indicating strong agreement) and accelerate the writing process (mean score 4.06 on a 5-point Likert scale indicating agreement). These findings address fundamental challenges EFL students face who often struggle with the academic register and appropriate word choice in their second language. However the study also uncovered a notable ambivalence while students acknowledge AI technology rsquo s practical benefits they remain hesitant to consider it essential to their thesis writing process suggesting a complex relationship between technological dependence and academic ownership. Regarding ethical strategies EFL students demonstrated a strong commitment to academic responsibility achieving an overall mean score of 4.04. The highest-scoring ethical practice involved systematic review and revision of AI technology-generated content (mean score 4.40) indicating that EFL students actively engage with AI technology outputs rather than passively accepting them. EFL students employ various strategies to maintain academic integrity including paraphrasing fact-checking source verification and self-imposed usage limitations. Nonetheless a significant challenge emerged in the area of transparency students showed reluctance to discuss their AI usage with thesis supervisors (mean score 3.71) often due to unclear institutional policies or fear of negative judgment. The study concludes that EFL students are developing complex personal ethical frameworks for AI technology usage in academic writing demonstrating adaptability and responsibility despite limited institutional guidance. They strategically employ AI technology as a supportive tool rather than a primary writing instrument showing awareness of the need to maintain originality and scholarly ownership. However the gap between private ethical behavior and public transparency highlights the urgent need for clearer institutional policies and more supportive communication channels between students and faculty. This research contributes to the growing literature on AI integration in higher education by providing empirical evidence of student perspectives and practices. The findings suggest that while EFL students can use ethical A technology they require institutional support through clear guidelines faculty training and open dialogue opportunities. The study recommends developing adaptive policy frameworks that acknowledge the potential benefits of AI technology while preserving the fundamental principles of academic integrity and authentic learning. Future research should explore the long-term impacts of AI technology integration on academic writing development and investigate practical institutional approaches to supporting ethical AI technology usage in educational contexts.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Divisions: | Fakultas Sastra (FS) > Departemen Sastra Inggris (ING) > S2 Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris |
| Depositing User: | library UM |
| Date Deposited: | 05 Aug 2025 04:29 |
| Last Modified: | 03 Sep 2025 02:55 |
| URI: | http://repository.um.ac.id/id/eprint/390589 |
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