EXPLORING THE USE OF CHATGPT AS A SUPPORTING TOOL IN WRITING RESEARCH PROPOSALS: EFL STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Writing research proposals is a challenging task for EFL students, who often struggle with aspects such as generating ideas, organizing content, and adhering to academic writing standards. Recognizing these difficulties, this study explores the potential of ChatGPT, an AI-driven tool, to support students in overcoming these challenges. The research aims to analyze how students perceive the use of ChatGPT in their research proposal writing process and to identify the specific challenges they encounter when integrating this technology into their academic work. Employing a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through questionnaires and interviews with 20 eighth-semester students of the English Education Department at Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung. A subset of six students who regularly used ChatGPT in their writing process was selected for in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed using Miles and Huberman's interaction model to gain insights into the students' experiences. The findings indicate that while students perceive ChatGPT as a valuable tool that aids in idea generation, content refinement, and enhancing the overall quality of their proposals, they also face challenges such as the need for precise prompting and occasional generation of irrelevant or biased information. Despite these issues, students have developed strategies to effectively utilize ChatGPT, demonstrating its potential as a supportive tool in academic writing when used in conjunction with traditional skills and critical thinking.