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Description
The emergence of ChatGPT is reshaping pedagogical practices and learning approaches in language education. While previous studies have explored its use in English learning, limited research has examined how students’ academic writing develops before and after using ChatGPT, particularly among English majors in Vietnam. This study aims to investigate the impact of ChatGPT on students’ academic essay writing, and their perceptions of its use in academic contexts. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 49 English-major students at a university through pre- and post-writing tasks and questionnaires. Students’ writing performance was assessed using IELTS Writing Task 2 Band Descriptors and analyzed using SPSS. Qualitative data from open-ended survey responses and semi-structured interviews were then used to further explain the quantitative findings. The results indicate that students’ writing performance improved after using ChatGPT, particularly in idea development, grammatical accuracy, and lexical use. ChatGPT was found to support students in generating ideas and refining language during the revision process. However, students also expressed concerns about overreliance, reduced creativity, and limitations in contextual understanding. These findings highlights the importance of integrating digital literacy training into writing instruction to ensure responsible use of AI tools.
