Exploring EFL Teachers' Epistemic Agency and Its Influencing Factors in an AI-Integrated Context through the Double Stimulation Model

Epistemic agency is a significant factor in fostering teachers' innovation. Although previous research has highlighted the positive impact of epistemic agency on language teachers' knowledge creation, few studies have examined the role of this agency in navigating opportunities and challenges in an artificial intelligence (AI)-integrated context, and the factors that impact epistemic agency in this setting. Drawing from literature on the role of sociocultural environments, individual beliefs, and epistemic agency in educational practices, this study explores two key questions: (1) How is English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) teachers' epistemic agency manifested in an AI-integrated context? (2) How do macro, micro, and individual factors impact EFL teachers' epistemic agency? Using the double stimulation model, we investigated how multiple factors shape EFL teachers' epistemic agency in AI-integrated education. Data from collective inquiries and interviews revealed that teachers collaboratively addressed conflicts of motives through epistemic agency, with collective inquiries playing a crucial role. While macro-level factors had minimal perceived impact, micro-level factors such as AI adoption trends, and individual-level factors including beliefs in AI's ability considerably impacted teachers' epistemic agency. These findings emphasize the significance of a collaborative environment and positive teacher beliefs in fostering epistemic agency and encouraging teaching innovation in the AI era.