Enhancing Learner Autonomy and Learning-to-Learn Skills through AI Literacy: An Action Research Study with Adult EAL Learners
This presentation reports findings from the 2025 Action Research program sponsored by Cambridge Assessment English and administered by English Australia. Conducted at an Australian international language school, the study investigated how learners perceive and use generative AI (GenAI) to learn accurate, context-sensitive usage of phrasal verbs (PVs). The project was designed to prepare learners for final written and spoken assessments where the accurate use of PVs was a key criterion.
I hypothesised that it could provide sample sentences with target PVs as GenAI is powered by large language models (LLMs), enabling students to identify patterns, apply them, and evaluate accuracy, thereby strengthening critical learning-to-learn skills based on the Cambridge Life Competencies framework (2020, p.3). My own initial trials revealed that AI-generated sentences were often incorrect without precise, context-rich prompting. Therefore, I invited students to experience and learn from these same challenges to see the learning process during interactions with GenAI.
The research addressed three questions.
1. What are learners’ perceptions of using ChatGPT to learn phrasal verbs before and after engaging with the tool?
2. What is the impact of using ChatGPT on learners’ ability to use phrasal verbs?
3. To what extent do learners demonstrate their critical thinking and learning-to-learn skills?
This mixed-methods study involves 12 learners of English as an Additional Language (EAL), aged between 18-24, from European countries (mostly from Sweden). The intervention followed the three-phase cycle: (1) Diagnosis: A pre-survey and diagnostic test of phrasal verb use knowledge (a survey and one-on-one interviews), (2) Exploration: Unguided learner-AI interaction to explore their current level of AI understanding (Interaction log analysis), and (3) Intervention: A structured AI literacy component, where learners were explicitly taught to analyse grammatical patterns, evaluate AI-generated examples, and iteratively refine prompts to meet learning goals. Activities included tone analysis, transitivity awareness, and critical cross-checking, supporting both form-meaning remapping and metacognitive development.
After exploring learners’ current AI use, prompt writing guidelines were designed (design) while AI literacy education was provided for ethical use (regulation). This intervention (implementation) brought about a positive impact on learner autonomy (impact). A notable instance involved a Swiss learner who used her first language to prompt ChatGPT for clarification, demonstrating form-meaning remapping through translanguaging for a clear understanding. Also, a Swedish learner paused a writing task to question the AI’s word choice, revealing learning-to-learn competence through self-monitoring and enquiry. These findings demonstrated that guided AI interactions can foster learner autonomy, shifting their perceptions of AI as a learning partner rather than a shortcut.
Key implications of this study are (1) that GenAI should be integrated through learner-centred approaches, (2) that assessment should value process over product, emphasising thinking skills, (3) that explicit instruction and AI literacy must be provided for learners to have concrete criteria for evaluating the accuracy of AI-generated information, and (4) that learners should remain at the centre of their own learning, using AI as a tool for critical engagement.
View the full presentation here:
Kim, H. A. (2025, September 29). Enhancing Learner Autonomy and Learning-to-Learn Skills through AI Literacy: An Action Research Study with Adult EAL Learners. AIEOU Inaugural Conference, University of Oxford. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17226158
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