Developing and Implementing Teacher-Created AI Tools for Cultural Expression: A Mixed-Methods Study of EFL Students' Learning of Traditional Chinese Culture

This study focused on the design and application of AI tools developed by teachers to enable EFL students to express themselves in English within the context of traditional Chinese culture. This study uses a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design to illustrate how educators with little programming knowledge can develop customized learning tools through low-code platforms with large language model integration. The study consists of three phases: developing IA Improved Learning tools, implementing AI Improved tools in EFL classrooms, and evaluating their efficiency. Rich quantitative data collected from 33 undergraduate students, as well as qualitative data from semi-structured interviews, also demonstrate a profound improvement in both the ability of students to express cultural understanding as well as critical engagement in a post-course environment. These findings show how AI tools developed by teachers can fill the gap between technical possibility and pedagogical necessity and how these efforts can support culturally sustaining language learning. This study advances scholarship concerning integrating AIs into language education while offering practice and practical insights for educators interested in creating bespoke domain-specific AI learners.