Research on Motivation and Self-Efficacy in AI-Assisted L2 Learning: Where are We and Where are We Going? Insights from a Scoping Review

Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted second language (L2) learning has rapidly expanded in recent years, and much research has tried to understand how learner motivation and self-efficacy operate in these contexts. With the growing number of studies in this area, we consider it important to conduct a scoping review examining the current state of research on AI-assisted L2 learning, focusing on AI’s effects on motivation and self-efficacy. Following the scoping review framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we analysed 73 empirical studies published between 2022 and 2025. The findings show that research in this area is growing rapidly but remains uneven. It is concentrated in East Asian university EFL contexts and dominated by studies of generative AI tools and short-term intervention designs. Theoretically, learning-oriented frameworks and self-determination theory are most prevalent, whereas dynamic perspectives and self-efficacy theory remain underrepresented. Methodologically, mixed-method designs are increasingly common, but most studies still rely on self-report data and pre–post comparisons, with limited longitudinal and process-based evidence. Beyond mapping these patterns, our review suggests that AI reshapes, rather than simply enhances, motivation and self-efficacy by transforming learning experiences through continuous interaction and feedback, highlighting the need to reconsider existing theories and adopt longitudinal perspectives in AI-assisted L2 learning research.