Artificial Intelligence Integration in Malaysian TESL Classrooms: Effects on Student Engagement and Teaching Effectiveness

Abstract

It is projected that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, especially Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), will alter TESL by improving teaching effectiveness and learner engagement. The use of AI in TESL classrooms may affect these results, according to this conceptual paper, which provides a framework for analysis. The study is based on research on constructivist learning theory, student engagement theory, and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, published between 2021 and 2025. To suggest an integrated model, the concept-building research paper assesses current research on a certain topic. It is anticipated that AI tools such as ChatGPT would promote personalized education by offering instantaneous feedback in an interactive manner, hence improving student behavior, emotion, and cognition. With less administrative work and more data-driven instructional decisions, the use of AI may also boost teaching productivity. However, problems like digital illiteracy, moral dilemmas, and over-reliance on technology could affect how it is used. By offering a paradigm to guide practice and upcoming empirical research in Malaysian higher education, this work contributes to the body of TESL literature already in existence.