The Project
Aims to investigate, document, and share insights into the largely undefined teacher and student uses of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) within Canadian post-secondary English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs.
Is grounded in research on teacher cognition/beliefs (Borg, 2018; Johnson, 2018; Kessler, 2021; Lawrence, 2018) and informed by connectivism (Siemens, 2005), complexity theory (Larsen-Freeman, 1997, 2012), and sociocultural theory (Lantolf et al., 2015).
Will inform research in post-secondary GenAI use, international student integration and EAP pedagogy. It will support the development of sector-specific guidelines for GenAI integration that will help fuel the competitiveness of Canada’s post-secondary EAP sector.
Three Goals
1.
To examine and define teachers’ uses of and beliefs about GenAI in post-secondary EAP teaching and learning;
2.
To examine and define students’ uses of and beliefs about GenAI in EAP programs; and,
3.
To identify any similarities and distinctions between teacher and student uses of and beliefs about GenAI to inform best practices and curricular innovation in EAP.
Project Timeline
PHASE 1 (Current Phase)
Canada-wide Educator Survey (targeted N = 100)
Online landscape survey to collect teacher perspectives across Canada regarding the benefits, limitations and strategies using GenAI, and professional development needs. The needs identified in this and subsequent phases will inform the project’s online resource toolkit and Community of Practice (CoP).
PHASE 2
Teacher Q-Sort Survey (N = 25)
Thirty Q-sort statements (Q methodology) will be developed from the literature and the Phase 1 survey results. The team will then organize 30-minute facilitated Zoom sessions to guide participants through the Q-sorting process, where participants will rank statements on an online grid, indicating levels of agreement.
3 – 5 Focus Groups (N = 15)
The findings from the Q-sorting process will inform five 60-minute semi-structured online focus groups, each involving three to five teachers. Discussions will be recorded and transcribed to explore the rationale behind participants’ Q-sort rankings, their GenAI beliefs, practices, and professional development needs. These findings will inform the development of Phase 3 site visit protocols, including classroom observations, teacher interviews, and student Q methodology activities.
PHASE 3
Virtual Classroom Observations & Teacher Interviews (N = 6)
Online class observations will document GenAI-related practices, while stimulated recall interviews will reveal teachers’ thought processes and decision-making. Six site visits will include two online class observations at each site where GenAI is used or discussed, followed by a 60-minute teacher interview. These interviews will use reflective prompts and stimulated recall to explore teachers’ thoughts, decision-making, and feelings during teaching episodes.
Student Q-Sort (N = 30)
The team will also conduct the student Q methodology data collection following the teacher Q-methodology process above. Q-sort statements will be derived from the teacher Q-sort, the literature review, then piloted by five EAP scholars and five post-secondary EAP students. Random samples of three to six students from each site visit will be invited to complete an online Q-sort and participate in a focus group. Factor analysis of the Q-sort data will inform the focus group discussions, where students will expand on their rankings and GenAI beliefs.
Using mixed methods, the data from site visits, and teacher and student Q methodology will be analyzed to compare teacher and student beliefs about GenAI, informing the final phase of the study. These insights will inform the online toolkit for teacher feedback in Phase 4.
PHASE 4
Teacher Follow-Up Focus Groups (N = 6)
In this phase, the team will conduct two focus group interviews with site visit teachers (three teachers per group) to discuss teacher and student GenAI beliefs, practices and areas of teacher development. Drawing on Phase 3 findings, these 90-minute semi-structured interviews will encourage critical discussions on integrating GenAI into teaching. The focus groups will help teachers understand student perspectives, identify challenges and opportunities with GenAI, and explore areas for professional development that will include a critical discussion of the online toolkit. This phase will consolidate, triangulate, and disseminate findings while refining the project’s toolkit and ensuring a sustainable post-project CoP.