“ARE YOU ON BOARD?”: UNIVERSITY EFL INSTRUCTORS’ READINESS FOR INTEGRATING AI-POWERED TOOLS IN TEACHING

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been hailed as revolutionizing education, particularly in English Language Teaching and Learning. As teachers stand at the forefront of adopting AI in their teaching, understanding their readiness to harness this technology warrants further examination. While studies on teacher AI readiness exist, most have adopted a quantitative research approach. Employing a mixed-method approach, this study aimed to explore the level of EFL teachers' readiness to incorporate AI-based tools in teaching, their experience and their intention of using AI in their teaching. The framework developed by Li and Liang (2025), which operationalizes teacher AI readiness through personal assets, value-cost beliefs, and contextual resource evaluations, served as the primary theoretical underpinning. Data were collected from thirteen EFL instructors working in a higher education institution in Hanoi, Vietnam, using a questionnaire comprised of both closed-ended and open-ended questions. The results revealed that teachers are ready to integrate AI-based tools, as evidenced by their knowledge and technological innovativeness. Although the institution has provided AI training and peer support, teachers still aspire to have greater access to AI tools, clearer guidelines, and more specific institutional policies. Despite the study's small scale, its insights into EFL teachers’ readiness for integrating AI-powered tools aim to enrich the literature.