Abstract Book of the 9th International Conference on Advanced Research in Education
Year: 2025
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Exploring Acceptance and Engagement with AI for EFL Reading Practice among Chinese Primary School Students: A Motivational Technology Acceptance and Engagement Model Perspective
Mi Tang, Yiran Du
ABSTRACT:
This study explores how primary school students accept and engage with AI-assisted reading in English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Drawing on the Motivational Technology Acceptance and Engagement Model (MTAEM), which integrates the Technology Acceptance Model and Self-Determination Theory, the research investigates how support for autonomy, competence, and relatedness shapes learners’ psychological needs, technology acceptance, and engagement. Data were collected from 631 pupils in China through structured questionnaires. The findings show that competence, relatedness, and autonomy support are critical in fulfilling psychological needs, which in turn influence perceptions of ease of use, usefulness, and intention to use AI reading tools. Acceptance constructs were also found to play a direct role in sustaining behavioural, emotional, cognitive, and agentic engagement. The study contributes to theory by positioning acceptance as a pathway to engagement and highlights practical implications for designing AI systems that are developmentally appropriate and motivationally supportive for young learners.
Keywords: AI-assisted learning; EFL reading; learner engagement; self-determination theory; technology acceptance