Examining students’ perceptions of ChatGPT for essay writing among english language education students at UIN Mataram

Abstract

The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has created new opportunities and challenges in EFL essay writing. Among AI-powered tools, ChatGPT has gained increasing attention as a writing assistant that supports idea generation, language development, and writing efficiency. This study investigated students’ perceptions of using ChatGPT for essay writing in the English Language Education Study Program at UIN Mataram through the constructs of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitudes toward using, and behavioral intention derived from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). This study employed a descriptive quantitative design, while qualitative responses from open-ended questions were used to enrich the interpretation of the quantitative findings. The participants were 42 fourth-semester students who had experience using ChatGPT for essay-writing activities. Data were collected through a questionnaire consisting of 28 Likert-scale items and three open-ended questions. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and mean scores, while qualitative responses were analyzed thematically. The results revealed generally positive perceptions across all four constructs. Perceived ease of use received the highest mean score (M = 3.86), indicating that students generally found ChatGPT easy to use for essay-writing activities; this finding was further supported by 69.0% of students expressing positive responses. Other highly rated aspects included enjoyment of use (M = 3.79; 64.3%), idea generation (M = 3.76; 66.7%), and vocabulary enhancement (M = 3.71; 64.3%). These findings suggest that students perceived ChatGPT as a practical and accessible tool that supports various stages of the essay-writing process. In contrast, behavioral intention obtained comparatively lower mean scores, indicating that although students appreciated the benefits of ChatGPT, they were more cautious about its long-term use. Open-ended responses further revealed concerns regarding inaccurate information, overdependence on AI, plagiarism, and reduced originality. Overall, the findings suggest that students perceived ChatGPT as a useful and accessible supplementary tool for EFL essay writing, while highlighting the importance of responsible AI use, AI literacy, and lecturer guidance to support its effective integration into writing instruction.