Chinese EFL University Teachers’ Beliefs on Large Language Models in Language Education: A Latent Profile Analysis

Yang Gao, Qikai Wang, Xiaochen Wang and Quan Quan

SAGE Open, 2025, vol. 15, issue 3, 21582440251382580

Abstract: This study explores Chinese EFL university teachers’ beliefs regarding the integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) into language education, drawing on the Expectancy-Value-Cost (EVC) theory. A total of 298 valid responses were collected via an online questionnaire, and Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was employed to identify distinct belief profiles. The analysis revealed three teacher profiles: (1) Low EVC, (2) Medium EVC, and (3) High EVC. Teachers in the High EVC group reported strong expectancy beliefs and perceived value in using LLMs, despite recognizing potential costs, while those in the Low EVC group expressed limited confidence and high perceived barriers. Significant differences were also found across school type, LLM experience, class size, teaching mode, IT infrastructure, and accessibility of LLM use. The study offers theoretical insights by applying EVC theory to explain technology adoption among language educators and suggests practical implications for educational policy and teacher training. Promoting institutional support, improving IT infrastructure, and offering targeted professional development are essential for fostering positive teacher beliefs and successful LLM integration in language education.

Keywords: teacher beliefs; large language models; latent profile analysis; technology integration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:sagope:v:15:y:2025:i:3:p:21582440251382580

DOI: 10.1177/21582440251382580

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