UPSORN TAWILAPAKUL (LANGUAGE INSTITUTE)
QINGHUA CHEN (The Education University of Hong Kong)
ANGEL LIN (Education University of Hong Kong)

TEACHERNESS IN THE AGE OF GENAI: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC EXPLORATION OF PEDAGOGICAL DECISION-MAKING AND AI INTEGRATION IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING : TEACHER EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This study explores the concept of "teacherness" in the context of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) integration in English language teaching. Grounded in Shulman's Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework, the research investigates how English language teachers' unique qualities distinguish them from GenAI systems, focusing on pedagogical decision-making and the challenges of aligning GenAI with specific teaching goals in tertiary ESP courses. The study addresses three main questions: How do teachers' pedagogical decisions and critiques of GenAI-generated content reflect their unique "teacherness"? How do teachers train and adapt GenAI to align with their pedagogical goals? How does GenAI integration influence teachers' perceptions of their professional identity? Using an ethnographic approach, the research will observe and interact with an ESP course teacher over six months, collecting data through annotated records of GenAI interactions and reflective discussions. Thematic coding and comparative analysis will identify patterns related to teacherness and GenAI integration. This study aims to contribute insights into the irreplaceable qualities of human teachers in language education, offer practical implications for teacher education programs, and explore the potential and limitations of GenAI in educational settings.

Dr. Upsorn Tawilapakul is a lecturer at Thammasat University's Language Institute in Thailand. She holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of York, specializing in semantics. Her research interests include the semantics-pragmatics interface, discourse particles, and information structure. Dr. Tawilapakul has published extensively on Thai linguistics and presented at numerous international conferences. Fluent in Thai, English, and German, she actively contributes to academic journals as a reviewer and participates in the Bangkok Combined Choir as a soprano.

Dr. Qinghua Chen is a postdoctoral fellow at the English Language Education Department of the Education University of Hong Kong. His current research interests include subjectivity, emotions, and identity of pre-service teachers and English language learners. He is particularly interested in exploring how these factors shape teaching and learning experiences in multicultural and multilingual contexts.

Dr. Angel M. Y. Lin is Chair Professor of Language, Literacy and Social Semiotics in Education at the Education University of Hong Kong. Dr. Lin has been at the forefront of English language education and critical literacies since the late 1990s when she started working on classroom research projects in schools in Hong Kong. She has published widely on second language education, discourse analysis, trans/languaging (TL), trans-semiotizing (TS), Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), and critical media literacies. Dr. Lin’s leadership and mentoring has profoundly shaped the professional lives of doctoral students and emergent scholars both in Asia and Canada.