Becoming an Expert L2 Writing Teacher in the Age of AI: A Dialogical–Narrative Case Study in a Chinese University
Keywords:
AI-assisted teaching; dialogical approach; educational reform; teacher AI literacy; writing teacher expertiseAbstract
Research on Artificial Intelligence (AI)-mediated L2 writing has focused mainly on students’ use of tools and their effects on writing outcomes, while comparatively little is known about how writing teachers construct professional expertise in AI-rich classrooms. This article addresses that gap through a year-long dialogical–narrative case study of an experienced Chinese university writing teacher (“Wei”), based on three interviews, two classroom observations, student texts and teaching artefacts. The analysis shows that Wei’s expert identity is not a fixed set of traits, but an evolving, dialogically negotiated configuration of integrated knowledge about writing and writing instruction, student-centred pedagogy, sustained reflection, leadership and growing AI-related competence, co-constructed in interaction with students, colleagues, digital tools and institutional reform discourses. Wei’s trajectory both confirms and extends existing models of L2 writing teacher expertise by showing that AI literacy and the capacity to negotiate technological and institutional tensions have become central to expert identity in technology-mediated classrooms. Conceptually, the study refines existing accounts of expert writing teachers in the age of AI. Practically, it highlights the need for professional development and institutional support that help teachers critically integrate AI into writing pedagogy under digital reform.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.4.31
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Copyright (c) 2026 Yongjing Peng, Norhakimah Khaiessa Binti Ahmad, Abu Bakar Bin Mohamed Razali, Pei Pei
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