Exploring the artificial intelligence usage tendencies of English instructors in preparation schools of universities in Istanbul

Technological advancements during the latter half of 20th century accelerated at an unprecedented pace and has affected the whole world. Artificial Intelligence can be counted as one of these prominent technologies. This thesis aimed to explore AI usage attitudes of English instructors in preparation classes of universities in Istanbul by seeking answers to three main research questions: the attitudes and tendencies of EFL instructors towards the use of AI, AI usage areas of instructors during their teaching process, and the prevalent obstacles encountered by EFL instructors when employing AI technology. Sample group of this study was comprised of EFL instructors who worked in one of the two universities in Istanbul during the spring semester of 2023-2024 educational year. A mixed-method design, that is a combination of descriptive analysis (quantitative) and content analysis (qualitative) methods was adopted. The questionnaire was applied to 80 instructors, and 13 of them participated in focus group interviews. The results showed that EFL instructors believed that AI usage in ELT could definitely have a positive attitude. The participants mentioned that they used AI technologies to prepare lesson plans, and examinations in addition to the improvement of four basic skills of English learning and feedback. The most significant barriers of successful integration of AI were addressed as the lack of training and knowledge, lack of resources, and ethical concerns along with the lack of legal regulations. The study has also uncovered an anticipation for comprehensive revision within teacher training programs, aimed at integrating AI into educational domain, alongside the establishment of a legal framework for its usage.