Volume 4, 2026 – Issue 2

The Use of AI in Moroccan Vocational EFL Classrooms: Influencing Factors, Student Challenges, and Student Personal Gains

Samira El-Asri ¹

The Higher School for Education and Training (ESEF), Chouaib Doukkali University, EL Jadida, Morocco

Corresponding author: elasrisamiraa@gmail.com

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20288854

Abstract

In Morocco, as in other countries around the world, the use of AI tools, technologies, and applications is on the rise in the educational field. A strong reason behind this is the ample and rapidly growing body of literature both nationally and internationally on the benefits of AI in education in general, and in language teaching and learning in particular. On that account, the current study aims to investigate how AI empowers EFL learning in vocational education through exploring the factors behind the use and application of AI tools and technologies among vocational students, the challenges that face them while using them, and students’ personal gains of using them as well. A mixed method study was conducted to collect the data, including a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. More specifically, the study recruited 113 vocational students belonging to the same vocational training institute to complete a questionnaire. Then, nine of them were selected to take part in the semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study revealed that most of the students found AI to be very effective in enhancing their English language learning, and used it mainly for translation purposes. The study also revealed that the students found technical problems and a level mismatch between personal proficiency in English and AI applications’ answers as the most challenging aspects when using those applications. However, the study also showed that the students had personal gains from the use of AI, namely saving time and energy while achieving personal learning needs.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, English language learning, EFL learning, vocational education, vocational students 

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Published

2026/06/01

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Section

Research Papers

How to Cite (APA)

EL-Asri, S. (2026). The use of AI in Moroccan vocational EFL classrooms: Influencing factors, student challenges, and student personal gains. The International Journal of Technology, Innovation, and Education, 4(2), 7–28. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20288854

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APA

EL-Asri, Samira. 2026. “The Use of AI in Moroccan Vocational EFL Classrooms: Influencing Factors, Student Challenges, and Student Personal Gains.” The International Journal of Technology, Innovation, and Education 4 (2): 7–28. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20288854.

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