“It’s Not Just About Me—It’s About the Environment Too”: Unveiling the Personal and Contextual Factors Associated with English Teachers’ AI Adoption

The growing incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) into L2 education has generated increasing scholarly interest. Nevertheless, existing research has devoted relatively little attention to English language teachers’ experiences of AI adoption and the personal and contextual conditions surrounding this process. To address this gap, this study harnessed a descriptive phenomenological approach to explore the drivers of AI adoption among English teachers. To do so, a cohort of 33 English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers participated in online semi-structured interviews and offered reflective narratives. The data were analyzed thematically using Colaizzi’s (1978) seven-step approach, ensuring a rigorous and systematic interpretation of teachers’ lived experiences. The findings revealed a constellation of personal (technology literacy, attitudes toward technology, adaptability, resilience, and teaching enjoyment) and contextual factors (institutional support, availability of resources, technology infrastructure, and professional development opportunities) that shaped English teachers’ willingness and capacity to adopt AI tools. These insights offer valuable implications for language teachers, teacher educators, and educational policymakers seeking to facilitate effective and sustainable AI integration in L2 educational contexts.