Generative Artificial Intelligence, Motivation, Anxiety, and Creativity in Saudi English-as-a-Foreign-Language Classrooms: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Summary

This cross-sectional survey examined associations among generative artificial intelligence use, teaching style, digital literacy, motivation, anxiety, and creativity in Saudi English-as-a-Foreign-Language undergraduates, identifying motivation as an important mediator of the observed relationships.

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT are increasingly being incorporated into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education; however, limited evidence is available regarding how their use relates to teaching style, digital literacy, motivation, foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA), and creativity within the Saudi Arabian context. This study investigated the associations among these constructs and examined the mediating role of motivation within a unified conceptual framework. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted among 280 undergraduate EFL students enrolled at a public-sector university in Saudi Arabia using validated questionnaire instruments. The proposed relationships were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicated that ChatGPT use, teaching style, and digital literacy were positively associated with students’ motivation. Higher motivation was associated with lower levels of FLCA and higher levels of creativity. Motivation also mediated the associations between ChatGPT use, teaching style, digital literacy, and FLCA. These findings suggest that students’ motivational experiences are closely associated with the relationships between instructional practices, technology use, and language-learning outcomes. The study provides evidence supporting the integration of appropriate teaching strategies, generative AI tools, and digital literacy within English language education while highlighting the importance of considering students’ motivational and emotional experiences when implementing technology-supported learning environments.

Introduction

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is undergoing a transformative educational reform agenda under Vision 2030, which prioritizes the development of 21st-century skills, digital competence, and innovative pedagogical approaches across all educational levels¹. Within this national context, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education continues to face persistent challenges, including an examination-driven culture that emphasizes rote learning and test performance over communicative competence^2,3. Limited opportunities for authentic English language interaction outside the classroom, together wi....

Protocol

Although the study did not require formal ethical approval from an institutional review board because of its non-experimental, anonymous survey design involving no physical interventions, manipulation, or deception of participants, all procedures were conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and the American Psychological Association’s guidelines for research involving human participants. Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection. The institution did not require or issue a formal ethics approval or exemption for this type of study. All respondents were explicitly informed of the researc....

Results

Descriptive Statistics

Descriptive statistics provide an overview of the sample characteristics and the distribution, central tendency, and variability of the study variables. In this study, descriptive analyses were performed to characterize the participant sample and summarize the key variables before conducting the structural analyses.

Table 1 summarizes the demographic characteristics of the 280 undergraduate EFL participants. F.......

Discussion

This study investigated the relationships among teaching style, ChatGPT usage, digital literacy, motivation, FLCA, and creativity among Saudi EFL undergraduates, with particular attention to the mediating role of motivation. The findings provide evidence regarding the relationships among pedagogical practices, technology use, and learner characteristics in technology-enhanced language learning. The positive association between teaching style and EFL students’ motivation (H1 supported) is consistent with SDT, which .......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
ChatGPT usage scale (adapted)	Authors; adapted from Abbas et al.	N/A	Eight-item questionnaire assessing students' use of ChatGPT for language learning.
Creativity scale (adapted)	Authors; adapted from Govindasamy et al.	N/A	Twelve-item questionnaire assessing originality, flexibility, fluency, and elaboration.
Digital literacy scale (adapted)	Authors; adapted from Rodríguez-de-Dios et al.	N/A	Twenty-nine-item questionnaire measuring six dimensions of digital literacy.
Foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) scale (adapted)	Authors; adapted from Briesmaster & Briesmaster	N/A	Twenty-seven-item questionnaire measuring communication apprehension, test anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation.
G*Power	Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf	Version 3.1.9.7; RRID: SCR_013726	Software used for post hoc statistical power analysis.
IBM SPSS Statistics	IBM Corp.	Version 26; RRID: SCR_002865	Statistical software used for data cleaning, descriptive statistics, reliability analyses, and preliminary analyses.
Mahalanobis distance analysis	IBM SPSS Statistics	Version 26; RRID: SCR_002865	Statistical procedure implemented in IBM SPSS Statistics to identify multivariate outliers.
Motivation scale (adapted)	Authors; adapted from Kanoksilapatham et al.	N/A	Twenty-item questionnaire assessing learner motivation.
Paper questionnaire	Authors	N/A	Printed version of the structured self-administered questionnaire used for in-person data collection.
Secure online survey platform	Google LLC	N/A	Google Forms platform used for electronic questionnaire distribution.
SmartPLS	SmartPLS GmbH	Version 4; RRID: SCR_036419	Software used for Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), including measurement model evaluation, structural model analysis, bootstrapping (5,000 resamples), and mediation analysis.
Structured self-administered questionnaire	Authors	N/A	Questionnaire administered in paper and electronic formats using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
Teaching Style Inventory (adapted)	Authors; adapted from Grasha's Teaching Style Inventory	N/A	Questionnaire measuring Authority, Expert, Personal Model, Facilitator, and Delegator teaching styles.
University communication channels	University of Jeddah	N/A	Official email and classroom announcements used for participant recruitment.