Pre-service english teachers' behavioral intentions and opinions related to the use of artificial intelligence in english teaching

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine behavioral intentions, to re-veal the level of knowledge and awareness, and to identify the opinions and experiences of pre-service teachers studying in the fourth year of English language teaching program, about artificial intelligence technologies that can be used in English lan-guage teaching. Method: In the study, a convergent mixed method design, in which qualitative and quantitative research methods are conducted, was used. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed separately and then the results were combined. The study group consisted of 30 pre-service teachers studying in the department of English language teaching at the faculty of education of a state university in Eskişehir province. While the educational technology usage level determination form and behavioral purpose scale were analyzed using descriptive and basic statistical methods, the data obtained through semi-structured qualitative interview form were analyzed by content analysis method. Results: It was observed that pre-service English language teachers' use of in-formation technologies is high, while their knowledge and use of artificial intelligence is not at a sufficient level. It was observed that the pre-service English teachers' pro-fessional use of artificial intelligence is low. It was determined that pre-service English teachers do not have experience in preparing multimedia content using artificial intelligence, but they have a high level of knowledge that artificial intelligence can be used for this purpose. It was stated that the pre-service English teachers found the supportive conditions for the effective use of artificial intelligence in the school environ-ment inadequate. It was observed that when pre-service English teachers use artificial intelligence for professional purposes, they especially turn to artificial intelligence to create content such as lesson plans and classroom activities. It was determined that pre-service English teachers consider artificial intelligence as a practical solution when they have difficulty in finding ideas and creating the right instruction. In addition, the pre-service teachers expressed that they would like to be able to use artificial intelligence at the level they need professionally. While pre-service English teachers think that artificial intelligence is useful in increasing the quality and efficiency of teaching, they stated that they encountered culturally inappropriate content. Facing financial barriers such as quota limits and paid versions while using artificial intelli-gence applications makes it difficult to benefit from these applications. Conclusion and Suggestions: As a result of the study, it was found that as the pre-service EFL teachers' knowledge, skills, and experience in the use of artificial intelligence increased, they gained positive ideas about using artificial intelligence in English language teaching. It was concluded that pre-service EFL teachers would like to have more opportunities to increase their knowledge, skills, and experiences they need about artificial intelligence applications. In order for pre-service teachers to be able to use artificial intelligence in English language teaching increasing opportunities such as artificial intelligence training and mentoring, taking the necessary national steps to enable artificial intelligence to produce content that is more culturally relevant, promoting the use of specialized educational versions of artificial intelligence among teachers and eliminating financial barriers such as quota limits on access to artificial intelligence would be beneficial.