BEYOND THE CHATBOT: DEVELOPING AI PROMPT LITERACY TO ENHANCE EFL LEARNERS’ AUTONOMOUS WRITING AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS.

Abstract

The rapid integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in education has shifted the pedagogical focus from merely restricting AI use to fostering students’ ability to interact with it critically. However, empirical research on “AI prompt literacy” - the skill of designing, refining, and evaluating AI prompts - remains scarce, particularly in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. This mixed-methods study investigated the impact of an 8-week AI prompt literacy intervention on EFL learners’ writing autonomy and critical thinking skills. The participants comprised 60 undergraduate EFL students at a university in Uzbekistan, divided into an experimental group (n=30) and a control group (n=30). Quantitative data were collected using pre- and post-tests, including a Writing Autonomy Questionnaire and a Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory, while qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. Quantitative results indicated that the experimental group showed statistically significant improvements in both writing autonomy (p < .01) and critical thinking (p < .05) compared to the control group. Qualitative thematic analysis revealed that prompt literacy training transformed students’ perception of AI from a “ghostwriter” to a “Socratic collaborative partner,” thereby enhancing their self-regulated learning. The study concludes that integrating prompt engineering into EFL writing curricula is essential for cultivating critical digital literacy. Implications for pedagogy and future research are discussed.