Reducing Writing Anxiety in Secondary School EFL Learners through AI-Enhanced Writing Instruction: A Mixed-Methods Study

Year 2025, Volume: 13 Issue: 26, 1483 - 1498

Tugba Aydın Yıldız

Abstract

This mixed-methods study aimed to investigate the effects of AI-enhanced English writing instruction on the writing anxiety levels of 7th-grade students. The study was conducted in a public middle school in Zonguldak, Türkiye, with a total of 41 participants. Over the course of 12 weeks, students engaged in weekly one-hour writing sessions supported by AI tools, primarily ChatGPT. Quantitative data were collected using the Writing Anxiety Scale, while qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured questions administered before and after the intervention. Thematic content analysis of qualitative responses confirmed these findings, indicating that students felt less anxious, more motivated, and increasingly confident throughout the intervention. Participants described the AI tools as supportive, particularly in helping them generate ideas, correct mistakes, and organize their writing more effectively. The integration of AI technologies was found to reduce both emotional and cognitive barriers to writing, suggesting that AI-enhanced instruction can be a valuable resource in English language classrooms.

Keywords

EFL , writing anxiety , AI , secondary school

Ethical Statement

Ethical Committee Permission Information Name of the board that carries out ethical assessment: Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Social and Humanities Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Board The date and number of the ethical assessment decision: 26.05.2025/603974

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