Training EFL Pre-Service Teachers in Using AI Tools to Create Digital Narrative Teaching Materials
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37253/iallteach.v7i2.11619Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital Storytelling, Pre-service Teacher Training, EFL Material Development, AI LiteracyAbstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been increasingly used to support EFL material development, yet many pre-service teachers often lack the skills to integrate it effectively. In response to this need, this study examines the implementation and impact of a structured AI-integrated training session to develop digital storytelling (DST) competencies. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research involved 90 EFL pre-service teachers participating in AI training sessions that followed a five-stage workflow: prompting, voice-over creation, image generation, video editing, and lesson planning. Data were collected from training observations, analysis of 23 DST projects, and a 10-item Likert-scale satisfaction survey. Findings show that participants successfully produce multimodal narrative DST using 4-7 AI tools per project, such as ChatGPT, Canva AI, AI Video Cloud, and Magic School AI, to produce diverse digital narrative materials. The digital products targeted students and designed pedagogically aligned lesson plans for Grades 2 to 12 that assessed multiple English skills, with listening and reading being the most frequently integrated. Fables were also the most selected genre, followed by romance, fantasy, and fairy tales. Survey results indicate a high level of satisfaction (M=4.25), confidence, and perceived usefulness of AI tools for EFL material development. The study highlights the pedagogical potential of integrating AI-driven tools in EFL teacher preparation and suggests practical implications for curriculum design in teacher education programs.
Downloads
References
Aisyiyah, M. N. (2022). Pre-Service English Teachers’ Readiness for Technology-Enhanced Language Learning. ELT Echo : The Journal of English Language Teaching in Foreign Language Context, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.24235/ELTECHO.V7I2.12509
Akbarani, R. (2024). Use of Artificial Intelligence in English Language Teaching. International Journal of English Learning and Applied Linguistics (IJELAL), 4(1), 14–23. https://doi.org/10.21111/IJELAL.V4I1.10756
Banoth, S., & Muthyala, U. (2025). Using Digital Storytelling as a Tool to Enhance Vocabulary for Young Learners. Journal of English and Applied Linguistics, 4(1), 5.
Belda-Medina, J., & Goddard, M. B. (2024). AI-Driven Digital Storytelling: A Strategy for Creating English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Materials. International Journal of Linguistics Studies, 4(1), 40–49. https://doi.org/10.32996/ijls.2024.4.1.4
Daher, R. (2025). Integrating AI literacy into teacher education: a critical perspective paper. Discover Artificial Intelligence, 5(1), 217.
Gander, T., & Shaw, B. (2024). Navigating the AI Landscape: Educator Insights and Pedagogical Implications in New Zealand. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 32(3), 439–463. https://doi.org/10.70725/897776DKIBZU
Guan, L., Zhang, Y., & Gu, M. M. (2025). Pre-service teachers preparedness for AI-integrated education: An investigation from perceptions, capabilities, and teachers’ identity changes. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 8, 100341.
Haas, L., & Tussey, J. T. (2023). Empowering minds: Multimodal literacies, fanfiction, and inclusive education. Journal of English Teaching through Movies and Media, 24(4), 28–40.
Hastomo, T., Mandasari, B., & Widiati, U. (2024). Scrutinizing Indonesian pre-service teachers’ technological knowledge in utilizing AI-powered tools. Journal of Education and Learning, 18(4), 1572–1581. https://doi.org/10.11591/EDULEARN.V18I4.21644
Idham, A. Z., Rauf, W., & Rajab, Abd. (2024). Navigating the Transformative Impact of Artificial Intelligence on English Language Teaching: Exploring Challenges and Opportunities. Jurnal Edukasi Saintifik, 4(1), 8–14. https://doi.org/10.56185/JES.V4I1.620
Ismail, A., Aliu, A., Ibrahim, M., & Sulaiman, A. (2024). Preparing teachers of the future in the era of artificial intelligence. Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Neural Network, 44, 31–41.
Kaminskienė, L., & Khetsuriani, N. (2019). Personalisation of learning through digital storytelling. Management: Journal of Contemporary Management Issues, 24(1), 153–166.
Kayaalp, F., Durnali, M., & Gökbulut, B. (2025). Enhancing Competence for a Sustainable Future: Integrating Artificial Intelligence–Supported Educational Technologies in Pre‐Service Teacher Training for Sustainable Development. European Journal of Education, 60(1), e12865.
Kayaalp, F., Durnali, M., of, B. G.-E. J., & 2025, undefined. (n.d.). Enhancing Competence for a Sustainable Future: Integrating Artificial Intelligence–Supported Educational Technologies in Pre‐Service Teacher Training for. Wiley Online Library. Retrieved November 30, 2025, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ejed.12865
Kuddus, K. (2022). Artificial intelligence in language learning: Practices and prospects. Advanced Analytics and Deep Learning Models, 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119792437.CH1
Liu, D., Lai, C., Lin, R., & Jin, T. (2025). Pre‐Service Teachers’ Technology Integration in Pronunciation Instruction: Professional Identity and Value Beliefs. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 35(2), 577–589. https://doi.org/10.1111/IJAL.12640
Moradi, H., & Chen, H. (2019). Digital storytelling in language education. Behavioral Sciences, 9(12), 147.
Moybeka, A. M., Syariatin, N., Tatipang, D. P., Mushthoza, D. A., Dewi, N., & Tineh, S. (2023). Artificial Intelligence and English classroom: the implications of AI toward EFL students’ motivation. Edumaspul: Jurnal Pendidikan, 7(2), 2444–2454.
Ng, D. T. K., Leung, J. K. L., Chu, K. W. S., & Qiao, M. S. (2021). AI literacy: Definition, teaching, evaluation and ethical issues. Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 58(1), 504–509.
Panchenko, L. F., & Panchenko, L. F. (2021). Digital storytelling in adult education: barriers and ways to overcome them. Educational Technology Quarterly, 2021(4), 673–688. https://doi.org/10.55056/etq.41
Pu, S., Ahmad, N. A., Md Khambari, M. N., Yap, N. K., & Ahrari, S. (2021). Improvement of Pre-Service Teachers’ Practical Knowledge and Motivation about Artificial Intelligence through a Service-Learning-Based Module in Guizhou, China: A Quasi-Experimental Study. Asian Journal of University Education, 17(3), 203–219.
Söğüt Asst, S. (2024). Generative artificial intelligence in EFL writing: A pedagogical stance of pre-service teachers and teacher trainers. Focus on ELT Journal, 6(1), 58–73. https://doi.org/10.14744/FELT.6.1.5
Tamimi, M. A. M. A. (2024). Effects of Digital Story-Telling on Motivation, Critical Thinking, and Academic Achievement in Secondary School English Learners. Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 9(1), 305–328.
TÜTÜNİŞ, B., Kerim, Ü., & KÖKSAL, Ö. (2025). AI-Enhanced Professional Development: Effects on Secondary EFL Teachers’ Digital Competencies and Affective Dimensions in Turkey. Journal of Posthumanism, 5(3), 859–882.
Wei, X., Wang, L., Koszalka, T. A., Lee, L. K., & Liu, R. (2025). Enhancing pre-service teachers’ reflective thinking skills through generative AI-assisted digital storytelling creation: A three-dimensional framework analysis. Computers & Education, 235, 105356. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.COMPEDU.2025.105356
Widianingtyas, N., Mukti, T. W. P., & Silalahi, R. M. P. (2023). ChatGPT in Language Education: Perceptions of Teachers - A Beneficial Tool or Potential Threat? VELES (Voices of English Language Education Society), 7(2), 279–290. https://doi.org/10.29408/veles.v7i2.20326
Yu, B., & Wang, W. (2024). Transforming English pre-service teachers through a digital adventure: Developing digital literacy and pedagogical skills. In Technology and English language teaching in a changing world: A practical guide for teachers and teacher educators (pp. 125–142). Springer.
Yu, B., & Wang, W. (2025). Using digital storytelling to promote language learning, digital skills and digital collaboration among English pre-service teachers. System, 129, 103577.
Zhang, C., Schießl, J., Plößl, L., Hofmann, F., & Gläser-Zikuda, M. (2023). Acceptance of artificial intelligence among pre-service teachers: a multigroup analysis. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1), 49-. https://doi.org/10.1186/S41239-023-00420-7/TABLES/9
.png)
