Presentation Schedule
Epistemic Authority in Transition: AI, Feedback Literacy, and Student Agency in Saudi University EFL Writing Classrooms (108572)
Session Chair: Ayako Nakai
Saturday, 11 July 2026 16:30
Session: Session 5
Room: UCL Torrington, B07 (Basement Floor)
Presentation Type:Oral Presentation
The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools into higher education has intensified global debates surrounding authorship, academic integrity, and the future of writing pedagogy. While much of this discussion has emerged from Western contexts, limited research has examined how AI-mediated feedback operates within higher education systems characterized by strong traditions of teacher-centered authority. This study investigates how AI-generated feedback reshapes epistemic authority, feedback literacy, and student agency in Saudi university EFL writing classrooms. Adopting a mixed-methods design, the study was conducted over one academic semester with 82 undergraduate students enrolled in a foundation-year writing course at a public Saudi university. Data included pre- and post-semester surveys, comparative draft analyses, revision tracking, and semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal a redistribution—rather than erosion—of authority. Students positioned AI as a technical linguistic assistant, particularly for grammar and vocabulary, while maintaining the instructor as the primary epistemic validator of ideas and argumentation. Although AI use increased revision frequency and reduced feedback-related anxiety, most revisions remained surface-level, indicating underdeveloped feedback literacy. The study argues that AI does not inherently democratize writing instruction; instead, it exposes existing gaps in students’ capacity to interpret and apply feedback critically. Implications include the need for explicit feedback literacy instruction, culturally responsive AI integration, and a reconceptualization of the instructor’s role from corrective authority to epistemic mentor within AI-augmented learning environments.
Authors:
Raees Unnisa, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia
Anjana Tiwari, National Institute of Technical Teachers Training & Research, India
About the Presenter(s)
Dr Raees Unnisa is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at Qassim University in Saudi Arabia
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