Exploring the Use of AI Tools in EFL Students’ Master Dissertation: The Case of Master Students at École Normale Supérieure (ENS) and Kasdi Merbah University (KMU)- Ouargla, Algeria

Abstract

The rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have brought about substantial changes in numerous fields, and education is no exception. University students leverage AI tools to accomplish a range of academic tasks, notably including the composition of Master's dissertations. This study aims to explore whether and the extent to which English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Master students utilize AI tools during the process of writing their dissertations. Furthermore, it seeks to identify the specific research tasks for which these students employ AI tools in their dissertation work. To attain this aim, the current research adopts exploratory research design and employ a questionnaire as an instrument to gather data from 72 participants who are EFL Master students drawn from two prominent institutions in Ouargla, Algeria: École Normale Supérieure (ENS) and Kasdi Merbah University (KMU). The findings reveal that EFL Master's students recognize academic writing's importance and actively refine their skills. Additionally, they widely embrace AI tools, integrating them into   research practices including research plan, literature reviews, instrument design, data analysis, data interpretation, and simple writing enhancement tasks such as reformulation, summarizing, explanation. As the findings demonstrate a clear shift in academic workflow, showing AI is not just a peripheral tool but deeply integrated into fundamental tasks from literature review, data analysis to writing refinement, this study provides valuable insights to enrich our understanding of modern academic practices.