THE USE OF AI GENERATIVE FEEDBACK IN WRITING THESES FOR 8TH-SEMESTER STUDENTS ENGLISH EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BENGKULU

In higher education, thesis writing presents a significant challenge for many students.
With the continuous advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI), students have begun
to utilize AI tools to assist them throughout the writing process, particularly in
obtaining feedback. This research aims to examine how AI-generated feedback is
used in thesis writing and to explore students’ perceptions of its effective use. The
participants were six eighth-semester students from the English Education Study
Program at the University of Bengkulu, selected through criterion sampling. A
qualitative phenomenological approach was employed, with data collected through
semi-structured interviews and documentation. The data were analyzed using
thematic analysis. The findings show that all participants used ChatGPT as the
primary AI tool to support their thesis writing. In using ChatGPT, students followed
three categories: requesting feedback, receiving feedback, and responding to
feedback. They reported that AI-generated feedback was generally helpful in
improving the quality of their thesis writing. However, they also expressed concerns
about its relevance and accuracy, prompting them to verify the feedback by relying
on their own judgment, discussing it with peers, or consulting their supervisors. In
conclusion, students perceived AI-generated feedback as beneficial and effective in
supporting their thesis writing process, especially in terms of clarity, coherence, and
self-revision.
Keywords: AI-generated feedback, Thesis writing, Student perceptions.