The human face of innovative teaching: EFL teachers’ emotional vulnerability in AI-assisted teaching through the lens of Technology Acceptance Model

This narrative inquiry explored the emotional vulnerability experienced by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in the context of AI-assisted teaching, informed by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The narratives and interviews of twenty-one EFL teachers were analyzed, focusing on their accounts of emotional vulnerability as they integrated AI into their teaching practices. Specifically, the analysis examined positive emotional vulnerability, characterized by openness to risks and challenges in a supportive AI-assisted teaching environment, and negative emotional vulnerability, defined by distress arising from AI implementation challenges in anxiety-provoking teaching contexts. A deductive thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes related to emotional vulnerability and TAM constructs. Findings revealed that EFL. Findings revealed that teachers’ perceived usefulness of AI technologies significantly contributes to their willingness to take risks in implementing AI in their classrooms. Moreover, it was shown that EFL teachers’ self-disclosure in safe working environments facilitates the quality of their AI integration and contributes to their perceived ease of use. In contrast, their negative vulnerability is characterized by a sense of powerlessness when encountering AI and a tendency to withdraw. It was concluded that EFL teachers’ acceptance of technology plays a crucial role in shaping their openness to the challenges associated with AI implementation, particularly by addressing their emotional vulnerabilities. This study has implications for EFL teacher education programs, which should address teachers’ technology acceptance to foster greater willingness to embrace the challenges of AI integration and ultimately enhance positive vulnerability.