From Adoption to Continuance: A Longitudinal Qualitative Exploration of University EFL Teachers’ Motivation for Continued Use of GenAI Based on Self-Determination Theory

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has been rapidly integrated into higher education, yet current studies largely rely on quantitative frameworks that capture initial adoption, leaving university EFL teachers’ motivational evolution for continued use of GenAI underexplored. To address this gap, this longitudinal qualitative study explores the motivational evolution and psychological need experience of 15 university EFL teachers’continued use of GenAI grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Data were collected through two rounds of semi-structured interviews over one year and analyzed in NVivo 11 PLUS. Our findings reveal a dynamic evolution of motivation from external regulation to value identification and professional identity integration. Crucially, need satisfaction and need frustration provide important psychological foundations for teachers’ motivation internalization. Notably, while need satisfaction directly facilitates university EFL teachers’ continued use of GenAI, need frustration can actually act as a potential catalyst that facilitates EFL teachers to form long-term continued use of GenAI through iterative reflection and instructional adjustment. This study extends the application of SDT within the GenAI education context, indicating that university EFL teachers’ continued use of GenAI is not merely a process of technology adoption, but also a process of professional growth and professional identity integration. The results provided preliminary implications for teacher professional development, GenAI design and education policy.