Harnessing AI for EFL Learning: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Learner Strategies and Teacher Perspectives

As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly integrates into academic life, its application in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education remains underexplored, particularly within specific sociocultural contexts, This study addresses a critical gap in the literature: the lack of empirical research on the self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies employed by Algerian EFL students when using generative AI, and the extent to which these strategies align with instructor perspectives . The study was guided by two research questions: (1) What SRL strategies do Algerian Master’s students use when integrating AI into their academic writing tasks? (2) How do EFL teachers’ perceptions of AI’s role and associated ethical concerns compare with students’ reported practices? The qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews with 15 Master’s students, selected based on their self-reported use of AI for academic work multiple times per week. The quantitative phase surveyed 49 EFL university teachers on their attitudes and pedagogical approaches to AI. The findings reveal that students are not passive users; instead, they employ sophisticated SRL strategies such as adaptive goal-setting and critical self-evaluation to use AI as a “scaffolding partner.” This practice contrasts with teachers’ prevalent “cautious optimism,” which focuses more on abstract ethical concerns like plagiarism rather than on students’ emergent agentic strategies. The study concludes that students’ strategic AI use offers a foundation for developing pedagogical models centered on critical AI literacy and proposes that institutional policies should focus on guiding, rather than prohibiting, AI integration.