Students’ Perceptions of the use of ChatGPT during a Writing Activity Based on the Computational Thinking Process: A Thematic Analysis
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study adopts thematic analysis to systematically analyze qualitative data, focusing on students’ perceptions regarding the use of ChatGPT during a narrative short story writing activity following the Computational Thinking (CT) process as a problem-solving approach. The study involved 27 third-year English Education majors from a public university in Thailand, who voluntarily participated in a post-activity survey with open-ended questions. The analysis revealed both favorable and unfavorable experiences with the Computational Thinking (CT) process used in the writing activity. Positive feedback highlighted clarity and educational value, while negative feedback pointed to time consumption and complexity. As for the use of ChatGPT in the writing process, students appreciated its
efficiency and educational support but expressed concerns about its impact on creativity and originality, as well as technical and access issues. This study’s findings provide valuable insights into EFL students’ perceptions of
using ChatGPT in narrative writing activities. However, caution should be exercised when generalizing these findings beyond the specific context of the study participants, in relation to the wide spectrum of linguistic competencies among EFL students. Overall, the study underscores the potential benefits and challenges of incorporating generative-AI tools like ChatGPT in
educational settings, highlighting the need for responsible integration to ensure student learning while fostering creativity and critical thinking.
Article Details
References
Alharbi, W. (2023). AI in the Foreign Language Classroom: A Pedagogical Overview of Automated Writing Assistance Tools. Education Research International, 2023, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/4253331
Biggs, J. B., (2011). Teaching for quality learning at university: What the student does. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Chan, C.K.Y., & Hu, W. (2023). Students’ voices on generative AI: perceptions,benefits, and challenges in higher education. International Journalof Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20 (43). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00411-8
Chen, J. J., & Lin, J. C. (2024). Artificial intelligence as a double-edged sword:Wielding the POWER principles to maximize its positive effects and minimize its negative effects. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 25(1), 146-153. https://doi.org/10.1177/14639491231169813
Clarke, V., & Braun, V. (2016). Thematic analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(3), 297–298. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1262613
Fareed, M., Ashraf, A., & Muhammad Bilal, M. (2016). ESL Learners’ Writing Skills: Problems, Factors and Suggestions. Journal of Education and Social Sciences. Vol. 4(2), 81-92. https://journals.iqra.edu.pk/archives/view/jess/4/JESS1604201
Gencoglu, B., Helms-Lorenz, M., Maulana, R., & Jansen, E. P. W. A. (2021). A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Variability in Student Perceptions. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.725407
Hacker, P., Engel, A., & Mauer, M. (2023). Regulating ChatGPT and other Large Generative AI Models. In Proceedings of the 2023 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT ‘23). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3593013.3594067
Han, J., & Geng, X. (2023). University students’ approaches to online learning technologies: The roles of perceived support, affect/emotion and self-efficacy in technology-enhanced learning. Computers and Education/Computers & Education, 194, 104695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104695
Han, J., Yoo, H., Myung, J., Kim, M., Lee, T. Y., Ahn, S.-Y., & Oh, A. (2023). Exploring Student-ChatGPT Dialogue in EFL Writing Education. In
Proceedings of the NeurIPS 2023 Workshop on Generative AI for Education (GAIED). https://gaied.org/neurips2023/files/19/19_paper.pdf
Huang, J., & Tan, M. (2023). The role of ChatGPT in scientific communication: writing better scientific review articles. American journal of cancer research, 13(4), 1148–1154. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10164801/
Israel, M. J., & Amer, A. (2022). Rethinking data infrastructure and its ethical implications in the face of automated digital content generation. AI And Ethics, 3(2), 427–439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-022-00169-1
Ivanov, S. (2023). The dark side of artificial intelligence in higher education. Service Industries Journal, 43(15–16), 1055–1082. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2023.2258799
Javaid, M., Haleem, A., Singh, R. P., Khan, S., & Khan, I. H. (2023). Unlocking the opportunities through ChatGPT Tool towards ameliorating the education system. BenchCouncil Transactions on Benchmarks, Standards and Evaluations, 3(2), 100115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tbench.2023.100115
Kim, N. J., & Kim, M. K. (2022). Teacher’s Perceptions of Using an Artificial Intelligence-Based Educational Tool for Scientific Writing. Frontiers in Education, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.755914
Kitamura, F. C. (2023). ChatGPT Is Shaping the Future of Medical Writing But Still Requires Human Judgment. Radiology, 307(2). https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.230171
Kıvrak, C. (2024). Exploring EFL students’ perceptions of using ChatGPT as a complementary tool in writing classes. Language Education and Technology, 4(2). https://langedutech.com/letjournal/index.php/let/article/view/83
Kottacheruvu, N. (2023). Developing Writing Skills through English Short Stories: A Case Study in the Classroom: English Writing Skills. International Journal of Language and Literary Studies, 5(1), 287–299. https://doi.org/10.36892/ijlls.v5i1.1243
Liu, M., Ren, Y., Nyagoga, L. M., Stonier, F., Wu, Z., & Yu, L. (2023). Future of education in the era of generative artificial intelligence: Consensus among Chinese scholars on applications of ChatGPT in schools. Future in Educational Research, 1(1), 72–101. https://doi.org/10.1002/fer3.10
Lu, J. J., & Fletcher, G. H. (2009). Thinking about computational thinking. Proceedings of the 40th ACM technical symposium on Computer science education. https://doi.org/10.1145/1508865.1508959
Merino-Armero, J. M., González-Calero, J. A., Cózar-Gutiérrez, R., & Del Olmo-Muñoz, J. (2022). Unplugged Activities in cross-curricular teaching: Effect on sixth graders’ computational thinking and learning outcomes. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, 6(2), 13. https://doi.org/10.3390/mti6020013
Moore, T. J., Brophy, S. P., Tank, K. M., Lopez, R. D., Johnston, A. C., Hynes,M. M., & Gajdzik, E. (2020). Multiple Representations in Computational Thinking Tasks: A Clinical Study of Second-Grade Students. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 29(1), 19–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-020-09812-0
Nazari, N., Shabbir, M. S., & Setiawan, R. (2021). Application of Artificial Intelligence powered digital writing assistant in higher education:randomized controlled trial. Heliyon, 7(5), e07014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07014
Nouri, J., Zhang, L., Mannila, L., & Norén, E. (2019). Development of computational thinking, digital competence and 21stcentury skills when learning programming in K-9. Education Enquiry, 11(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/20004508.2019.1627844
Nurhayati, N., Silitonga, L.M., Subiyanto, A., Murti, A.T., Wu, TT. (2022). Computational Thinking Approach: Its Impact on Students’ English Writing Skills. In: Huang, YM., Cheng, SC., Barroso, J., Sandnes, F.E.(eds) Innovative Technologies and Learning. ICITL 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13449. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15273-3_47
Opara, E., Adalikwu, M. E. T., & Aduke, T. C. (2023). ChatGPT for Teaching, Learning and Research: Prospects and Challenges. Global Academic Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4375470
Pardede, P. (2011). Using Short Stories to Teach Language Skills. Journal of English Teaching, 1(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.33541/jet.v1i1.49
Pedro, F., Subosa, M., Rivas, A., & Valverde, P. (2019). Artificial intelligence in education: challenges and opportunities for sustainable development. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000366994
Rahman, M. M., & Watanobe, Y. (2023). ChatGPT for Education and Research: Opportunities, Threats, and Strategies. Applied Sciences, 13(9), 5783.https://doi.org/10.3390/app13095783
Rottenhofer, M., Sabitzer, B., & Rankin, T. (2021). Developing Computational Thinking Skills Through Modeling in Language Lessons. Open Education Studies, 3(1), 17–25. https://doi.org/10.1515/edu-2020-0138
Sasmita, Y. V., & Setyowati, L. (2021). Problems faced by EFL students in learning to write. Linguista : Jurnal Ilmiah Bahasa, Sastra, Dan
Pembelajarannya, 5(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.25273/linguista.v5i1.9404
Şenel, E. (2018). The Integration of Creative Writing into Academic Writing Skills in EFL Classes. International Journal of Languages’ Education and Teaching, 6(2), 115-120. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ijlet/issue/82541/1426831#article_cite
Song, C., & Song, Y. (2023). Enhancing academic writing skills and motivation: assessing the efficacy of ChatGPT in AI-assisted language learning for EFL students. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1260843
Tekdal, M. (2021). Trends and development in research on computational thinking. Education and Information Technologies, 26, 6499–6529.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10617-w
Teubner, T., Flath, C. M., Weinhardt, C., Van Der Aalst, W., & Hinz, O. (2023). Welcome to the Era of ChatGPT et al. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 65(2), 95–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-023-00795-x
Tinto, V. (2022). Exploring the Character of Student Persistence in Higher Education: The Impact of Perception, Motivation, and Engagement. In Springer eBooks (pp. 357–379). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07853-8_17
Wing, J. M. (2006). Computational thinking. Communications of the ACM, 49(3), 33–35. https://doi.org/10.1145/1118178.1118215
Wolz, U., Stone, M., Pearson, K., Pulimood, S. M., & Switzer, M. (2011). Computational Thinking and Expository Writing in the Middle School. ACM Transactions on Computing Education, 11(2), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1145/1993069.1993073
Zhou, L., & Li, J. J. (2023). The Impact of ChatGPT on Learning Motivation: A Study Based on Self-Determination Theory. Educ. Sci. Manag., 1(1), 19-29. https://doi.org/10.56578/esm010103
