LOW-STAKES WRITING AS A PEDAGOGICAL STRATEGY TO MITIGATE AI OVERRELIANCE IN EFL WRITING: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Atimade Chankob, Aziz El Ghouati

Abstract


The increasing availability of AI-assisted writing tools has raised important pedagogical questions regarding student overreliance on AI and its potential impact on independent thinking and writing development in EFL contexts. This qualitative study explores Moroccan EFL students’ perceptions of low-stakes writing as an AI-responsive pedagogical approach. That said, how low-stakes writing can function as a pedagogical tool for reducing AI overreliance in EFL classrooms. Low-stakes writing tasks were designed to emphasize idea generation, reflection, and meaning-making rather than accuracy or polished output. This investigation was guided by semi-structured interviews, reflective writing samples, and focus group discussions. A qualitative study was conducted with purposive sampling of 20 EFL University students at Ibn Tofail University. The findings were organized into 3 thematic areas: (1) low-stakes writing Reduced Writing Anxiety and Increased Willingness to Write, (2) Development of Learner Agency, and (3) Selective and Reflective Use of AI Tools. The study reveals that low-stakes writing can strengthen learner agency and encourage reflective, ethical engagement with AI in EFL writing instruction, especially as students reported using AI tools more selectively, primarily for language refinement and feedback after drafting, rather than as a substitute for thinking or authorship. This highlights the need for educators to design AI-responsive pedagogies that balance technological support with the cultivation of higher-order writing skills.

Keywords


low-stakes writing, artificial intelligence, AI over-reliance, learner agency, qualitative study

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v13i9.7024

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