Research Information System
Young Science Beyond Borders (YSBB 2024), Warszawa, Poland, 24 - 25 October 2024, vol.1, (Summary Text)
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the education sector
underwent a rapid, dramatic transformation, with a greater reliance on online
learning, remote instruction, and innovative classroom systems. Conventional
education systems in most countries have since tried to adapt to this shift,
leading to a heightened need for digital competence and literacy among
educators and learners alike. In addition to this transformation, the release
of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) applications, like OpenAI’s
ChatGPT, has further disrupted the educational landscape. As with many other
fields, education has been significantly impacted by GenAI’s ability to
generate human-like content from provided prompts. As technology continues to
evolve, so do the roles of teachers and learners, making it essential for
educational actors to adapt to these changes to meet today’s learners’ evolving
needs and expectations (Chiu, 2024; Chiu et al., 2024).
One way to address these changes is by focusing on the learning environment and human behaviors. Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2017), a macro-theory of human motivation, offers a comprehensive framework for understanding how to create learning environments that foster student motivation and self-determination. According to SDT, teachers’ motivating styles play significant roles and exist on a continuum, ranging from highly autonomy-supportive to highly controlling. Unlike the controlling style, autonomy-supportive styles—such as considering learners’ perspectives and offering meaningful choices—can enhance student achievement, engagement, and competence (Noels, 2015; Reeve & Cheon, 2021). Although the benefits of autonomy-supportive language teaching environments have been well-documented over the past two decades (see Dincer et al., 2019), there is limited research on the evolving role of language teachers in the era of GenAI. The existing studies highlight the importance of creating technology-rich environments and emphasize the need for teachers to develop digital and AI competencies to support learners’ psychological needs (e.g., Chiu, 2024; Chiu et al., 2024).
This presentation, supported by the TUBITAK 2219 Research
Program (Project Number 1059B191600450), will explore recent SDT-based research
on AI integration in education. It will provide an overview of
autonomy-supportive language teaching practices within the SDT framework and
address the challenges of incorporating AI in an English as a Foreign Language
(EFL) context, Türkiye. The presenter will suggest strategies for overcoming
these challenges using the SDT framework.