Presentation A Longitudinal Study on Students’ Perceptions of Ethical AI Tool Usage more

The rapid rise of AI tools in education presents an ongoing challenge on understanding how students perceive the ethical boundaries of AI use in academic settings, especially in the realm of EFL education. While previous research has explored both the potential and the limitations of AI in language education, further investigation is needed to reveal how student perceptions evolve alongside advancements of AI tools. Building on our 2023 study involving 543 first-year students (Neff, Arciaga, & Burri, 2024), the present study analyzes data from a new cohort of 522 first-year students surveyed in 2024 at the same national university. Using the same questionnaire, participants evaluated AI-related scenarios on a 4-point Likert scale. This study offers a year-on-year comparison, which is expected to reveal some degree of continuity and shift to an extent. These findings may provide insight into emerging trends in student attitudes and emphasize the need to promote ethical awareness in EFL education. The presentation will explore how these results can inform educators in developing ethical guidelines and effective pedagogical practices for English language programs in Japan and beyond. Main author: Kasumi Arciaga (myself) Co-author #1: Joel Neff (who can attend the conference) Co-author #2: Mike Burri (who cannot make it to the presentation)