Graduate Program

English

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Semester of Degree Completion

Spring 2025

Thesis Director

Dr. Rachael Ryerson

Thesis Committee Member

Dr. Marjorie Worthington

Thesis Committee Member

Dr. Terri Fredrick

Abstract

Abstract

The rapid emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing tools such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, and QuillBot has reshaped the landscape of writing instruction in higher education. While these tools offer support in areas like grammar correction, brainstorming, and revision, they also provoke complex pedagogical and ethical questions. This study explores how English instructors at a mid-sized public university perceive the integration of AI writing tools in academic settings, highlighting both their pedagogical benefits and the concerns they raise around academic integrity, critical thinking, and authorship. Through a mixed-methods approach combining survey data and open-ended responses from writing instructors, the research reveals a cautious engagement with AI: instructors value AI’s potential for supporting diverse learners and addressing surface-level issues, yet they remain concerned about student over-reliance and the erosion of critical literacy. A key finding identifies a lack of faculty training as a major obstacle to integrate AI writing tools, highlighting a significant concern in terms of technical proficiency and adapting pedagogical practices to emerging technologies. Rather than advocating for outright bans, participants call for intentional, ethically grounded integration of AI that empowers students while ensuring human-centered writing processes. Ultimately, the study argues that AI’s role in writing instruction is not inevitable, but contingent on instructor agency, institutional support, and pedagogical intentionality. These insights contribute to ongoing conversations about how to responsibly navigate AI’s growing presence in composition classrooms.

Keywords: AI writing tools, writing pedagogy, academic integrity, critical thinking, ethical integration, higher education, English instructors, composition studies

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Available for download on Tuesday, May 11, 2027

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