Students' Perceptions of Using ChatGPT for Academic Writing in English. Insights from a Finnish University
Students' Perceptions of Using ChatGPT for Academic Writing in English. Insights from a Finnish University

Summary/Abstract: This article explores the perceptions of university students on the use of ChatGPT for academicwriting in English. Participants (n = 79) are all students on mandatory English-languagecourses at a university Language Centre in Finland. They are predominantly first-yearBachelor’s degree students from various degree programmes in different faculties. Participants’insights were collected via a survey that was administered to several intact groups during theautumn semester of 2023. The survey collected quantitative and qualitative data which wereanalysed and discussed in light of students’ developing academic writing skills in English. Thestudy sheds light on students’ specific uses of the AI-driven tool as well as their perceptions ofits impact on not only the writing process and product, but also on their own writing skills. Theresults indicated that students perceived ChatGPT to have above average usability, a findingwhich was supported and elucidated by students’ free responses concerning ways in which theyhave used this technology. Conversely, the reasons that some students had not used it included,amongst others, a lack of need, ethical concerns and doubts about its usefulness. Given thecontinued development and availability of large language models such as ChatGPT, thisresearch has clear implications for all stakeholders in higher education. In particular, byillustrating how students utilise ChatGPT in their academic writing, the study providesuniversity language teachers with the insights needed to ensure that their course outcomes,content and assessments remain reflective of students’ developing knowledge and studypractices.

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