The Role of Supportive Environments in Shaping EFL Teachers’ Adoption of ChatGPT

ChatGPT, as an advanced AI-powered chatbot, has great potential to enhance teaching efficiency and quality in language education. Compared with other users, teacher attitudes towards AI are pivotal as their acceptance or rejection will determine the success of AI integration for teaching and learning. However, research on EFL teachers’ specific acceptance of ChatGPT remains scarce. To address this gap, this chapter aims to apply the technology acceptance model (TAM) to explain EFL teachers’ intention to adopt ChatGPT for teaching activities. The results reveal that teachers regularly used ChatGPT for various purposes, such as creating exercises and questions, planning lessons, engaging in professional development, seeking teaching materials, and addressing students’ issues. The research also highlights the importance of supportive environments in influencing teachers’ acceptance of ChatGPT. While facilitating conditions only influenced perceived ease of use, social interaction was strongly found to impact both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. These findings can be valuable for educators and policymakers who are considering integrating AI tools like ChatGPT into their classrooms and institutions. By understanding teachers’ perspectives and the factors that influence their acceptance, they can create more effective implementation strategies and ensure smooth transitions for both teachers and students.