Leveraging Generative AI To Foster Teachers’ Creativity in Lesson Design

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54855/ijaile.26322

Keywords:

AI, CALL, EFL teachers, creativity, lesson design

Abstract

Although generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has gained popularity to assist in planning lessons in EFL teaching, its potential to enhance teachers’ creativity remains underexplored. Thus, the study aims to investigate the impact of GenAI on EFL teachers’ creativity in lesson design during a six-week professional development program at Nguyen Van Cu High School, Hai Phong, Vietnam. The study was carried out with ten in-service EFL teachers. A mixed-methods design was utilized, including pre- and post-intervention lesson plans, creativity evaluation rubrics, and reflective journals. Quantitative data were analyzed through creativity scores, whereas qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The results suggested that GenAI improved teachers’ originality, multimodal lesson design, and learner-centered instructional practices. However, participants were worried about authenticity and overreliance on AI as well. The findings highlight GenAI as a valuable pedagogical partner for enhancing teacher creativity while underscoring the necessity for reflective and balanced integration of AI into language education.

Author Biographies

  • Vu Thanh Loan, FPT University

    Vu Thanh Loan is a lecturer of English at FPT University, Vietnam. She has over 12 years of teaching experience in English language education. Her research interests focus on technology-enhanced language learning, generative AI in ELT, teacher creativity, and professional development in computer-assisted language learning (CALL).

  • Nguyen Minh Tri, Hoasen University

    Nguyen Minh Tri is currently the Program Director of English Language at Hoa Sen University, Vietnam. He has extensive experience in English language teaching and teacher education. His research interests include language assessment, intercultural communication, academic writing, and innovations in English language pedagogy and curriculum development.

References

Bender, E. M., Gebru, T., McMillan-Major, A., & Shmitchell, S. (2021). On the dangers of stochastic parrots: Can language models be too big? In Proceedings of the 2021 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (pp. 610–623). https://doi.org/10.1145/3442188.3445922

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Craft, A. (2005). Creativity in schools: Tensions and dilemmas. Routledge.

Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). Sage.

Dwivedi, Y. K., Kshetri, N., Hughes, L., Slade, E., Jeyaraj, A., Kar, A. K., Baabdullah, A. M., Koohang, A., Raghavan, V., & Ahuja, M. (2023). Opinion paper: So what if ChatGPT wrote it? Multidisciplinary perspectives on opportunities, challenges and implications of generative conversational AI for research, practice and policy. International Journal of Information Management, 71, 102642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102642

Hoang, T. T. H., Dang, H. N., Truong, T. K. X., & Pham, N. B. Q. (2025). EFL teachers’ perceptions of utilizing ChatGPT in designing lesson plans for IELTS reading skills. International Journal of AI in Language Education, 2(3), 19–39. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijaile.25232

Hossain, M. K., & Al Younus, M. A. (2025). Teachers’ perspectives on integrating ChatGPT into EFL writing instruction. TESOL Communications, 4(1), 41–60. https://doi.org/10.58304/tc.20250103

Holmes, W., Bialik, M., & Fadel, C. (2019). Artificial intelligence in education: Promises and implications for teaching and learning. Center for Curriculum Redesign.

Jones, R. H., & Richards, J. C. (2015). Creativity and language teaching. In Creativity in language teaching (pp. 3–15). Routledge.

Kasneci, E., Sessler, K., Küchemann, S., Bannert, M., Dementieva, D., Fischer, F., Gasser, U., Groh, G., Günnemann, S., Hüllermeier, E., Krusche, S., Kutyniok, G., Michaeli, T., Nerdel, C., Pfeiffer, F., Poquet, O., Sailer, M., Schmidt, A., Seidel, T., & Kasneci, G. (2023). ChatGPT for good? On opportunities and challenges of large language models for education. Learning and Individual Differences, 103, 102274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2023.102274

Kaufman, J. C., & Beghetto, R. A. (2009). Beyond big and little: The four-C model of creativity. Review of General Psychology, 13(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013688

Long, D., & Magerko, B. (2020). What is AI literacy? Competencies and design considerations. Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376727

Luckin, R., Rodolph, J., Griner, M., & Tan, S. (2024). Exploring the future of learning and the relationship between human intelligence and AI: An interview with Professor Rose Luckin. Journal of Knowledge Management and Education, 7(1), 346–363.

Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017–1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x

Nguyen, H. T. M., & Burns, A. (2017). Teacher language proficiency and reform of English language education in Vietnam, 2008–2020. Language, Education and Multilingualism, 4, 93–107.

Nguyen, L. A. D., & Le, T. T. P. (2025). Exploring the effects of an AI chatbot on emotional engagement in English speaking lessons: Insights from Call Annie. International Journal of AI in Language Education, 2(2), 79–99. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijaile.25225

OpenAI. (2023). GPT-4 technical report. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2303.08774

Pillai, A. K., Pereira, M., Roe, J., & Luong, L. K. (2022). Curriculum innovation in Vietnam: A study on teachers’ attitudes using the dimensions of ACB (Affective, Cognitive and Behavioral) model. Vietnam Journal of Education, 6(1), 20–30. https://doi.org/10.52296/vje.2022.141

Richards, J. C. (2013). Creativity in language teaching: Perspectives from research and practice. RELC Portfolio Series.

Runco, M. A. (2014). Creativity: Theories and themes: Research, development, and practice (2nd ed.). Academic Press.

Runco, M. A., & Jaeger, G. J. (2012). The standard definition of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 24(1), 92–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2012.650092

Sawyer, R. K. (2011). Explaining creativity: The science of human innovation (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.

Shanahan, M., McDonell, K., & Reynolds, L. (2023). Role play with large language models. Nature, 623(7987), 493–498. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06647-8

Williamson, B., & Eynon, R. (2020). Historical threads, missing links, and future directions in AI in education. Learning, Media and Technology, 45(3), 223–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2020.1798995

Xie, X., & Fang, F. (2025). ‘Walking out from the flat’: Pre-service English language teachers’ experiences of and needs for English as a lingua franca during study abroad. Language and Education, 39(3), 771–789. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2024.2378110

Yang, W., Li, H., & Lee, J. C.-K. (2025). Tailoring AI agents for early learning: The creative project approach. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 100473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2025.100473

Zawacki-Richter, O., Marín, V. I., Bond, M., & Gouverneur, F. (2019). Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education—Where are the educators? International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16, Article 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0171-0

Downloads

Published

08/12/2026

Issue

Section

Research Articles

How to Cite

Vu, T. L., & Nguyen, M. T. (2026). Leveraging Generative AI To Foster Teachers’ Creativity in Lesson Design. International Journal of AI in Language Education, 3(2), 19-32. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijaile.26322

Similar Articles

11-20 of 29

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.