AI-Assisted Gamified Writing Instruction and L2 Writing Development in an EFL Context

Gamification informed by Self-Determination Theory (SDT) has attracted growing interest in AI-assisted language education, yet theoretically grounded classroom-based research on L2 writing remains limited. This study examined the outcomes associated with SDT-informed AI-assisted gamified writing instruction in terms of pre-service English language teachers’ L2 writing performance and learning experiences in a university EFL context in Türkiye. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods quasi-experimental design was employed with 64 first-year undergraduate students enrolled in a compulsory writing course. The experimental group participated in an AI-assisted gamified writing intervention implemented over the final six weeks of the 14-week semester, incorporating collaborative missions, staged writing tasks, gamified progression systems, and AI-supported feedback tools (ChatGPT, Grammarly, and ProWritingAid), while the control group received traditional process-based instruction. Pretest and posttest essays were analyzed using mixed-design ANOVA, and qualitative data from focus-group interviews and reflective essays were analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis. The experimental group showed significantly greater improvement in writing performance than the control group, with a moderate-to-large interaction effect based on Cohen's (1988) benchmarks (partial η² = .132). Three themes emerged inductively: social connectedness through collaborative writing, greater control and flexibility throughout the writing process, and growing confidence and persistence through structured feedback and scaffolded support. These themes resonated with the SDT needs of relatedness, autonomy, and competence, though participants also raised concerns about uneven participation and overreliance on AI-supported feedback. The findings offer a classroom-based account of how SDT-informed, AI-assisted, gamified environments may shape L2 writing engagement and development in EFL higher education settings.