Exploring EFL learners' positive emotions, technostress and psychological well‐being in AI‐assisted language instruction with/without teacher support in Malaysia

Abstract Despite the growing interest in artificial intelligence (AI)‐assisted language learning, limited research has explored its impact on learners' emotional experiences, technostress and psychological well‐being in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. This study aimed to address this gap by investigating how AI‐assisted language instruction, with and without teacher support, influences these critical dimensions among EFL learners in Malaysia. To achieve this, a convergent parallel mixed‐methods design was employed, involving 98 Malaysian female EFL learners who were divided into three groups: two experimental groups (EGs) and one control group (CG). The first EG received AI‐assisted instruction with teacher support, while the second EG engaged in AI‐assisted instruction without teacher support. The CG followed traditional teaching methods. All participants were pre‐tested on measures of positive emotions, technostress and psychological well‐being before undergoing their respective instructional treatments. Post‐tests were administered after the intervention, and semi‐structured interviews were conducted with a subset of participants from the two EGs to gather qualitative insights into their experiences. The findings revealed that learners in the AI with teacher support group demonstrated significantly higher levels of positive emotions, lower technostress and enhanced psychological well‐being compared to both the AI without teacher support group and the CG. Qualitative analysis further highlighted three key themes for the AI with teacher support group: teacher‐mediated emotional security and positive affect; teacher buffering of AI‐induced technostress; and teacher–AI synergy enhancing psychological well‐being. In contrast, the AI without teacher support group emphasised autonomy‐driven motivation, technological resilience and a pronounced craving for guidance. The findings highlight the importance of integrating teacher support with AI tools to foster a more balanced and effective learning environment.