ChatGPT in the Moroccan EFL Classroom: Secondary School Teachers' Use, Perceived Benefits, Impacts, and Challenges

Abstract

As generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT rapidly enter educational spaces, understanding how language teachers engage with them is critical for informing pedagogy and policy. This study investigates the extent to which Moroccan secondary school EFL teachers use ChatGPT in their instructional practices, as well as their perceived benefits, reported impacts, and challenges. Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 24 teachers through Likert-scale questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative findings revealed that most participants use ChatGPT regularly, especially for lesson planning, material simplification, and grammar support, with younger and more digitally confident teachers reporting higher usage. Teachers perceived ChatGPT as a helpful tool for saving time and adapting materials to student levels. However, concerns were raised about content inaccuracy, plagiarism risks, lack of training, and misalignment with local curricula. Thematic analysis of qualitative data confirmed these patterns and highlighted nuanced issues related to teacher identity, classroom roles, and digital pedagogy. These findings contribute to the growing body of research on AI in education by offering context-sensitive insights from a Global South perspective and underscore the need for targeted professional development and policy guidance on AI integration in language teaching.