Examining the Role of AI Technologies in the Professional Wellbeing of Under-Resourced Turkish EFL Teachers: An Experimental Study

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has been indicated to influence various aspects of second or foreign language (L2) education across diverse contexts. Nevertheless, how the adoption of AI may influence the professional wellbeing of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in under-resourced settings has received limited empirical attention. To address this gap, the present study implemented an experimental design to investigate the impact of AI technologies on Turkish EFL teachers’ professional wellbeing during a semester-long intervention. A total of 76 teachers completed the professional wellbeing scale before and after participating in a course mediated by AI tools. The participants were assigned to control and experimental groups. The results of ANCOVA revealed a significant improvement in the experimental group teachers’ professional wellbeing from the pretest to post-test, indicating the effectiveness of the intervention course. The study highlights the need for professional development programs powered by AI technologies to enhance under-resourced EFL teachers’ AI literacy and wellbeing.