Actionable companion · Motivation & engagement

Learning with agency: External variables influencing the attitudes of students toward AI acceptance in improving English writing: a systematic review

AI-assisted editorial implementation guide, separate from the original research. Proposed actions are not claims or recommendations attributed to the source authors. No independent peer review of this guide is asserted.

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Evidence and context

Title and abstract screening; stage labels describe reported settings, not verified numerical ages. Design labels require full-text appraisal. Reported stage(s): Age / stage not established. Verify the participant population and task before transferring the findings.

Original authors’ abstract, reproduced under the linked source license:

Abstract The aim of this systematic review is to examine and synthesize existing empirical evidence on external variables that influence students’ attitudes toward the acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) in improving English writing skills. This research offers a conceptual framework, AI Constructivist Learning Model (AICLM), based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Constructivist Learning Theory (CLT). Motivation, engagement, and societal expectations, based on CLT, are identified as external variables in TAM. These three constructs support active, autonomous, and student-centered learning. A systematic search of academic databases was conducted following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Sixteen empirical studies published from 2021 to 2025, indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, were included in this review. Articles were selected on the basis of certain keywords such as, AI, English writing, TAM, and CLT. Findings indicate that students perceive the ease of use and usefulness of AI if they have high motivation, more engagement, and positive societal expectations. Therefore, motivation, engagement, and societal expectations are significant external variables that influence the attitudes of students toward AI acceptance in improving English writing. AI integration in English writing development can be successful if the interaction between the constructs of TAM and CLT is understood well. CLT supports why and how students engage actively with AI tools. Students are more likely to accept AI if it increases motivation enhances engagement and fulfils societal expectations. This conceptual framework is significant for future researchers and teachers in designing effective AI-based writing instructional strategies and curricula. Keywords: artificial intelligence, attitudes, constructivist learning theory, English writing skills, external variables, technology acceptance model

What kind of evidence is this?

Supporting AI learning science · Evidence synthesis

Stage: Age / stage not established. Screening labels describe reported context and study-design language. They are not a risk-of-bias rating or proof of effectiveness for an age band.

Study methods · source passage

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), as suggested by Moher et al. (2009), Liberati et al. (2009) guidelines are followed in this systematic review. PRISMA enhances the consistency and credibility of the research findings. It also assists scholars to conduct systematic reviews in a reliable, detailed, and clear manner. According to Nightingale (2009), the initial phase in conducting a SLR involves the formulation of a detailed protocol. This protocol should clearly state: (a) the main focus of the review; (b) the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the selection of relevant studies; (c) the method for the identification of studies; and (d) the approach to data analysis. In this protocol, the second step is the most significant as it determines the scope and overall findings of the study. A systematic process was used in this review to collect and analyze research about the use of AI in English writing skills. This process involved four basic steps such as literature retrieval, screening, content analysis, and bibliometric analysis. Sixteen peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2021 and 2025 were selected for this review, with reference to AI grounded in TAM and English writing improvement based on CLT related constructs. PRISMA flowchart is given in Figure 2.

Limitations and uncertainty · source passage

Abstract The aim of this systematic review is to examine and synthesize existing empirical evidence on external variables that influence students’ attitudes toward the acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) in improving English writing skills. This research offers a conceptual framework, AI Constructivist Learning Model (AICLM), based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Constructivist Learning Theory (CLT). Motivation, engagement, and societal expectations, based on CLT, are identified as external variables in TAM. These three constructs support active, autonomous, and student-centered learning. A systematic search of academic databases was conducted following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Sixteen empirical studies published from 2021 to 2025, indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, were included in this review. Articles were selected on the basis of certain keywords such as, AI, English writing, TAM, and CLT. Findings indicate that students perceive the ease of use and usefulness of AI if they have high motivation, more engagement, and positive societal expectations. Therefore, motivation, engagement, and societal expectations are significant external variables that influence the attitudes of students toward AI acceptance in improving English writing. AI integration in English writing development can be successful if the interaction between the constructs of TAM and CLT is understood well. CLT supports why and how students engage actively with AI tools. Students are more likely to accept AI if it increases motivation enhances engagement and fulfils societal expectations. This conceptual framework is significant for future researchers and teachers in designing effective AI-based writing instructional strategies and curricula. Keywords: artificial intelligence, attitudes, constructivist learning theory, English writing skills, external variables, technology acceptance model

Design the system before the pilot

Use this study to inform a learning mechanism or implementation question. It is not direct evidence that autonomous agents improve learning. Keep the proposed agent behavior separate from what the source actually tested.

Measure engagement separately from achievement. Check whether novelty-driven participation persists and whether it translates to independent performance.

A 90-day district pilot

Days 1–15 · Appraise. Have the curriculum lead and a teacher read the methods and limitations. Record the study design, sample, comparator, outcomes and evidence gaps. Define a local question that the study can help inform.
Days 16–30 · Design. Treat the paper as background evidence until its population is verified in the full text. Do not assign an age-specific intervention or extend adult results to children. Name an accountable owner and set the baseline, success threshold and budget before implementation.
Days 31–60 · Test. Start with a small voluntary cohort, preserve an accessible non-AI route and require teacher review. Use synthetic or de-identified examples; approve data handling and tool terms through district processes.
Days 61–90 · Decide. Extract the participant ages or education stage, recruitment, task and comparator before selecting a local pilot. If these cannot be established, retain the paper for design discussion rather than age-band efficacy claims. Compare with baseline, document uncertainty and stop or revise if learning worsens, access is unequal or critical errors persist.

The board decision brief

Report the learning problem, evidence quality, participating population, total cost including review time, measured benefit, errors, access differences and remaining uncertainties. Make a dated recommendation to stop, revise or expand. A positive perception survey alone does not establish learning improvement.

Attribution and reuse

Hafiza Sana Mansoor; Bambang Sumardjoko; Anam Sutopo. External variables influencing the attitudes of students toward AI acceptance in improving English writing: a systematic review. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence (2026-01-21). https://doi.org/10.3389/frai.2025.1719955

Companion prepared 2026-10-30. Original authorship and DOI are preserved. The abstract is an attributed source extract; the implementation plan is new AI-assisted editorial material, offered under the same CC BY 4.0 license. This guide has not undergone independent peer review.