CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN INTEGRATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: LECTURERS’ PERSPECTIVES IN ACADEMIC WRITING INSTRUCTION

Abstract

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed educational practices, particularly in English Language Teaching (ELT) and academic writing instruction. This study investigates the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating AI into academic writing instruction in higher education. Employing a qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach, the research involved eleven lecturers from the English Education Study Program at Universitas Islam Kalimantan Muhammad Arsyad Al Banjari (UNISKA MAB), Banjarmasin, Indonesia. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis framework. The findings revealed four major challenges, namely academic integrity concerns, student dependency on AI, limited AI literacy among lecturers, and the absence of institutional policies regarding AI usage. Conversely, four significant opportunities emerged, including immediate feedback, personalized learning, increased student confidence, and reduced lecturer workload. The study demonstrates that AI possesses considerable potential to improve academic writing instruction when implemented responsibly and supported by pedagogically sound strategies. However, successful AI integration requires adequate professional development, ethical guidelines, and institutional support. The findings suggest that AI should be viewed as a complementary educational tool rather than a substitute for human instruction. Universities are encouraged to establish clear frameworks that promote ethical, critical, and meaningful use of AI in higher education writing contexts.