Fostering Self-Regulated Writers: Human Writing Support in AI-Mediated Academic Writing

Abstract Book of the 10th International Conference on New Trends in Teaching and Education

Year: 2026

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Fostering Self-Regulated Writers: Human Writing Support in AI-Mediated Academic Writing

Zrinka Friganovic Sain

ABSTRACT:

Academic writing in higher education requires students to engage in self-regulated learning processes, including goal setting, strategy use, help seeking, and reflection. These demands are particularly relevant for first-year students and for students writing in English as an additional language, who increasingly rely on AI-assisted digital tools rather than human writing support. While such tools may offer efficiency and surface-level assistance, their relationship to students’ writing development and self-regulated learning practices remains insufficiently understood. This study adopts a quantitative research design grounded in self-regulated learning theory to examine undergraduate students’ writing practices, perceptions of human writing support, and use of AI-assisted digital tools. Data was collected through a structured Likert-scale questionnaire administered across academic programs. The instrument measures help-seeking behaviors, strategic use of digital tools, metacognitive awareness of writing development, perceptions of authorship and academic voice, and students’ understanding of higher- and lower-order writing concerns. Open-ended items are included to contextualize students’ reported behaviors and perceptions. The study compares responses across year of study (first year versus upper-year students) and language background (native versus non-native speakers of English). Descriptive and inferential analyses are used to identify patterns and group differences. By situating writing support within a self-regulated learning framework, this paper contributes pedagogical insights into how human writing support can function as a developmental scaffold in AI-rich learning environments. Implications are discussed for writing instruction and writing support services seeking to foster students’ metacognitive awareness, adaptive help-seeking, and sustainable writing development.

Keywords: Self-Regulated Learning; Academic Writing Pedagogy; Writing Support Services; AI-Assisted Writing; Student Help-Seeking