Alignment or Tension? A Comparative Study of Students’ and Teachers’ Perceptions of AI Tools in Academic Writing

Abstract

This study examines alignment and tension between EFL students’ and teachers’ perceptions of AI writing tools, specifically ChatGPT and Grammarly, in academic writing. Using a comparative mixed-methods design, the study integrates previously published student perception data (N = 500) with new teacher survey (n = 50) and interview data (n = 10) from an EFL higher-education context. Findings show partial alignment: both groups recognize AI tools as useful for grammar support, idea organization, drafting efficiency, and faster feedback. However, important tensions emerge in how usefulness is interpreted. Students tend to emphasize speed, convenience, and task completion, whereas teachers evaluate AI more cautiously through the lenses of critical thinking, originality, academic integrity, and assessment fairness. Teachers strongly support regulated integration, including clear institutional guidelines, AI-use disclosure, and faculty training, rather than unrestricted use or total bans. The study concludes that AI in academic writing requires guided, transparent, and pedagogically grounded integration to preserve authorship, fairness, and meaningful learning.