Investigating pre-service English language teachers' acceptance of generative artificial intelligence

The increasing use of GAI in education has made it important to understand its acceptance among future teachers. This study investigated pre-service English language teachers' acceptance of GAI in Türkiye, using the UTAUT as its principal framework and the TAM as complementary conceptual support. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, quantitative data were first collected from 164 undergraduate students in an ELT programme through the GAIAS. Individual semi-structured interviews were then conducted with 20 participants to explore their experiences and perceptions of GAI. The datasets were analysed separately, and the qualitative themes were integrated with the quantitative findings during interpretation to explain and contextualise the acceptance patterns. The findings indicated generally favourable acceptance across the four dimensions. Performance Expectancy had the highest mean score, whereas Social Influence had the lowest. No statistically significant differences were found according to gender or age, whereas some dimensions differed significantly according to year of study and frequency of AI tool use. Fourth-year students and more frequent users obtained higher scores in several dimensions. Participants perceived GAI as useful and easy to use for language learning, academic work, lesson planning, and information seeking. Concerns were identified regarding the reliability of AI-generated information, ethical issues, overreliance, and the need for institutional support. The study offers implications for the effective, responsible, and ethical integration of GAI into teacher education programmes.