Teachers’ readiness and perceived effectiveness of AI-assisted English language instruction: The moderating role of digital competence

Abstract

English Language Teaching is increasingly embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI), bringing fresh possibilities for enriching the quality of instruction as well as students' participation in EFL classrooms. This study examines how prepared Saudi high-school English teachers are for adopting AI technologies and their impact on students' participation in the English language learning environment. Three areas of teacher readiness are explored: technology self-efficacy, student-interaction practices, and ethical awareness, with an assessment of their predictive effect on student engagement. In addition, the moderating effect of teachers' general digital competence was analysed to see if AI readiness becomes stronger when teachers' digital competence is high. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was used, and data were gathered by a structured questionnaire administered to 450 English language teachers in public and private secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. The hypothesized relationships between the study variables were tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), and the moderating effects of the study variables were examined by PROCESS Macro analysis. The results showed that all three elements of teacher readiness had a positive and significant effect on students' engagement, with technology self-efficacy being the strongest predictor. Furthermore, teachers' digital competence also had a significant influence on the connection between AI readiness and student engagement. Gender and institutional type were also found to be important differences in the subgroup analysis. The study highlights the need for teacher development in pedagogical, ethical, and digital skills to facilitate the effective and responsible use of AI in the teaching and learning of English.