The Impact of Artificial Intelligence Tools on the Critical Reflection and Efficiency of Novice EFL Teachers in Material Development

The advent of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has fundamentally disrupted the landscape of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction, particularly in the domain of material development. This review article investigates the intersection of AI-assisted content creation and the professional development of novice teachers. While AI tools offer unprecedented efficiency, drastically reducing the time required to generate lesson plans, texts, and exercises, they simultaneously present a risk to the development of critical pedagogical reflection. Novice teachers, who are still in the process of forming their professional identity and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), may fall into the trap of automation bias, accepting AI-generated materials without sufficient scrutiny. This paper explores the tension between the operational benefits of AI and the cognitive demands of reflective teaching. It argues that while efficiency is a tangible benefit, it must not supersede the cultivation of critical evaluation skills. The review concludes that teacher education programs must pivot to include AI literacy, ensuring that novice educators remain the "human-in-the-loop" who critically curate rather than passively consume AI-generated content.

کلیدواژه ها:

Artificial Intelligence in Education ، EFL Material Development ، Novice Teachers ، Critical Reflection ، Teacher Efficiency