Using AI-driven chatbots to foster Chinese EFL students’ academic engagement: An intervention study

The present experimental research was an endeavor to assess the role of AI-driven chatbots in fostering Chinese EFL students' academic engagement. To do so, a sample of 113 EFL students was chosen from a national university in central China. Following that, through a random sampling method, students were allocated to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group (N = 57) was instructed through three AI-driven chatbots, whereas the control group (N = 56) received regular instructions without using AI-driven chatbots. To evaluate participants' level of academic engagement, a self-report scale was administered to them before and after the intervention. The study results indicated that the AI-driven chatbots positively influenced the academic engagement of students in Chinese EFL classrooms. Put it another way, the study outcomes revealed that AI-driven chatbots served as an important role in fostering Chinese EFL students' behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement. The results of this intervention study may be illuminating for all language teachers working in L2 instructional contexts. Concerning the outcomes of this inquiry, AI-driven chatbots could be of great help to language teachers in enhancing the academic engagement of their students.