AI-Powered Writing Tools: A Phenomenological Inquiry of Tertiary Students’ Usage

AI-powered writing tools have become indispensable companions for enhancing writing. This study aimed to comprehensively explore the lived experiences and contexts of the students' use of AI tools and their effects on their writing abilities and learning experiences. The study employed the transcendental phenomenological research design with six participants. Using Irving Seidman's guide, a purposeful sampling technique was utilized to select the participants before conducting the phenological Interview. Creswell's adapted Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method was used to generate emerging themes of this study. Based on the findings drawn, results underscored the transformative impact of these tools, such as students' writing challenges without AI tools, emphasizing their grammatical issues, limited ideation, and academic writing intricacies, providing immediate support, and overcoming hurdles. Also, it highlighted students' reliance on AI while emphasizing the need for control to avoid dependency and encourage teacher feedback. The study concluded with recommendations for integrating AI writing tools in education, promoting balanced dependence, and fostering continuous improvement in these tools to meet diverse learning needs.