Iraqi Students Startup Academic Writing: AI tools as an Aid

Abstract

Technology has become an integral part of learners' lives recently, thanks to its ease of access and complete reliance on it, especially for academic purposes, where writing is a significant skill. This study is carried out in Iraq. The purpose is to find out how undergraduate Iraqi students feel about using AI for critical thinking and to improve their academic writing at the university level. The study was conducted on 50 female students and 20 male students enrolled in the Academic Writing course at Diyala University. Data are collected by a quantitative method design to the study, which uses AI and the Academic Writing Questionnaire (AI-AWQ), utilizing 20 items Likert scale QuestionnaireAnd analyzed using SPSS 29 includes descriptive statistics and reliability assessment (Cronbach's Alpha= 0.83). The result shows a positive relationship between AI and better academic writing, and that most of the students cannot depend on AI tools as a human replacement. Finally, AI aid strategies related to dependency and task adaptation were found. These findings indicate the potential of AI tools aid in enhancing students’ academic writing, side by side the need for traditional pedagogical guidance.