Vietnamese EFL teachers' perspectives on using ChatGPT to support IELTS writing instruction

Thi Nguyet Le
People's Security University, Vietnam
Hoang Hung Nguyen
Ho Chi Minh City Open University, Vietnam

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) education has expanded across Vietnam to satisfy various academic and social needs; however, many IELTS learners have failed to achieve their desired writing results due to various influencing factors. Accordingly, our study examined whether Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) enhanced learners' IELTS writing skills at English training centres in Vietnam. It also explored benefits and barriers of using ChatGPT as perceived by EFL teachers in IELTS writing instruction, particularly in IELTS Writing Task 2. Two instruments were employed to collect data, including a questionnaire administered to 45 EFL teachers, and semi-structured interviews conducted with five experienced ones. The results revealed that ChatGPT contributed to improvements in learners' IELTS writing proficiency. Moreover, the participants identified many advantages of this artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, including 12 benefits for IELTS learners and nine benefits for teachers. Numerous challenges in using this tool were also perceived, including ten technology-related barriers, nine teacher-related barriers, and nine learner-related barriers. Although ChatGPT was recognised as a useful tool in English writing education, its drawbacks were perceived to outweigh its benefits. Finally, several recommendations are proposed to enhance the effectiveness of integrating ChatGPT into IELTS writing instruction in Vietnamese contexts.
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Authors: Dr Thi Nguyet Le achieved a doctoral degree from the School of Education, Edith Cowan University, Australia. She has been a senior lecturer in English language at People's Security University, Vietnam, for over 20 years. Her research focuses on contemporary educational technology, blended learning, teacher education, and TESOL methodology. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7980-3479 Email: nguyetthile.1980@gmail.com Hoang Hung Nguyen achieved his Masters degree with a focus on ChatGPT in English education from Ho Chi Minh City Open University, Vietnam. His research interest is AI integration into English teaching practices and IELTS education. Email: hungnguyen090798@gmail.com Please cite as: Le, T. N. & Nguyen, H. H. (2026). Vietnamese EFL teachers' perspectives on using ChatGPT to support IELTS writing instruction. Issues in Educational Research, 36(1), 137-160. http://www.iier.org.au/iier36/le.pdf