Exploring Master One Students’ Perceptions of Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chatbots as Learner-Autonomy or Dependence Promoting Tools

Abstract

This study explores Master one students‘ perception of using artificial intelligence chatbots as learner-autonomy or dependence promoting tools. To test the hypotheses, an exploratory research with a mixed-method approach was opted for. A structured questionnaire was handed in person to forty two master one EFL majors in both Didactics and Linguistics at the English Department in Ibn Khaldoun University, Tiaret, Algeria. An online and structured interview was sent to three teachers working at the same department. The quantitative and qualitative analyses of the collected data showed that Master one students perceive the AI chatbots as assistant for self-directed learning. It is also clear that students are aware of the risks of the significant dependence on these chatbots. Therefore, these tools must be supervised and ethically used to maintain control over the learning process. This research ends up with discussion, implications, and some recommendations