Lecturer's Perceptions and Strategies on ChatGPT Overreliance in ESL Academic Writing Among Undergraduates: A Case Study at a Malaysian Private University

Abstract

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT has transformed academic writing practices in English as a Second Language (ESL) contexts while simultaneously raising concerns about academic integrity and skill development. This study explored ESL lecturers’ perceptions of students’ overreliance on ChatGPT and the strategies adopted to manage this phenomenon at a Malaysian private university. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), a qualitative case study design was employed, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with three ESL lecturers teaching academic writing. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed that while ChatGPT offers linguistic scaffolding, lecturers perceived a decline in authentic writing processes, diminished metacognitive engagement, and increasing occurrences of AI-generated inaccuracies and fabricated references. Moreover, varied lecturer expectations and the lack of guidelines were found to encourage students’ dependence on AI applications. Consequently, lecturers introduced in-class writing tasks, structured assessments and oral defences to verify the authenticity of student submissions. These results are significant because they emphasise the institutional requirements for AI literacy education, unified governance and the restructuring of assessments to guarantee ethical and accountable AI application. As a result, this study contributes context-specific insights into sustainable AI integration aligned with SDG 4’s call for quality education in the digital era.