Examining the role of a structured AI-supported intervention in developing EFL students’ academic writing skills in Mozambican higher education

Abstract Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping educational practices and redefining how academic writing is taught, learned, and assessed. This study explores the role of a structured AI-supported writing intervention on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ academic writing performance and examines lecturers’ awareness of, and alignment with, emerging AI trends in a Mozambican public university. Employing an Exploratory Sequential Case Study-Mixed Methods design, data were collected through documents analyses, interviews, an intervention, and observations. Participants included eighteen undergraduate EFL students and five lecturers. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Social Practice Theory (SPT), qualitative data were analysed thematically, while quantitative data were examined using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test to measure performance differences. Findings revealed that students in the control group had limited informal exposure to AI and lacked ethical guidance, whereas students participating in the structured AI-supported intervention demonstrated higher levels of academic writing performance and responsible AI use following the intervention. However, most lecturers reported limited awareness of AI writing tools and students’ use of these technologies. From a TAM perspective, perceived usefulness, ease of use, and pedagogical support were associated with students’ acceptance of AI tools for academic writing purposes. The SPT interpretation further suggested that social interactions, supervision practices, and shared ethical norms contributed to how students integrated ChatGPT as an AI writing tool in their undergraduate writing practices. The study highlights the importance of AI literacy initiatives for both students and lecturers, as well as institutional ethical guidelines to support responsible and sustainable AI adoption in Mozambican higher education.