Efl Pre-Service Teachers’ Experiences in Collaborating With AI to Prepare Lessons: A Narrative Inquiry

This study explores two main aspects: (1) the habits, opportunities, and challenges faced by EFL pre-service teachers in using AI for lesson planning, and (2) their perceptions of AI’s influence on decision-making during lesson preparation. A qualitative narrative inquiry methodology was employed to capture participants lived experiences. Three EFL pre-service teachers from the English Education Study Program at a university in West Java, who had completed their School Field Experience Program (PLP), participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and narrative frames. Findings revealed that AI has become integral to participants’ lesson-planning practices, supporting brainstorming, material development, activity design, assessment preparation, and worksheet creation. AI provided opportunities by enhancing efficiency, enriching creativity, and offering diverse instructional resources. However, challenges emerged, including difficulties in crafting effective prompts, receiving overly general AI-generated responses, and concerns about overdependence on AI. Furthermore, AI influenced decision-making across several lesson-planning components, yet participants consistently maintained curriculum alignment and pedagogical autonomy. This balance highlights the importance of teachers’ critical engagement with AI outputs. The study concludes that AI functions as a collaborative partner rather than a replacement for teachers. Effective integration requires critical thinking, digital literacy, and reflective pedagogical judgment.