Adoption and perceptions of ChatGPT in an EFL classroom: a mixed-methods study at an Egyptian university

This mixed-methods study investigates the critical challenge of ChatGPT adoption in a non-Western context, examining student and teacher perceptions at Beni-Suef University, a large public university in Egypt. Employing an explanatory sequential design, the study surveyed 302 participants from the Faculty of Education using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) frameworks, with subsequent qualitative interviews used to illuminate the resulting quantitative patterns. The central finding is a fundamental perceptual divergence: students rated ChatGPT's usefulness significantly higher, while teachers found it easier to use but less compatible with their work. Qualitative analysis explains this gap as a conflict between two distinct roles: students acting as 'pragmatic users,' who prioritize task efficiency, and teachers acting as 'pedagogical guardians,' who prioritize the integrity of the learning process. Despite this divergence, a point of critical consensus emerged, as both groups expressed shared, significant concerns over academic integrity and the risk of student deskilling. The study’s key implication is that effective AI policies must bridge the perceptual gap between student pragmatism and pedagogical values. Successfully navigating this divide represents a key challenge for responsible educational reform not only in this context but globally.