Generative AI in Peripheral University ELT: From Pedagogical Catalyst to Academic Shortcut - Md. Niaz Mahmud Sakib

Generative AI in Peripheral University ELT: From Pedagogical Catalyst to Academic Shortcut Md. Niaz Mahmud Sakib Abstract: Particularly in underfunded peripheral university environments, the increasing use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in English language teaching (ELT) has heightened discussions about pedagogy, ethics, and evaluation. Few empirical studies have looked at how AI-mediated learning, ethical attitudes, and pedagogical responses develop at resource-constrained institutes in the Global South, particularly in Bangladesh, despite growing scholarship on AI in education. Examining these contexts is important because uneven digital infrastructure, limited institutional guidance, and diverse learner preparedness shape AI use differently from well-resourced settings. Adopting a mixed-method design, this study investigates whether AI functions as a pedagogical catalyst or an academic shortcut by combining interviews, classroom observations, document analysis, and a Likert-scale questionnaire administered to 40 undergraduate students at a peripheral Bangladeshi university. Findings reveal divergent patterns of AI engagement: while some students use AI to enhance language learning and writing, others rely on it for task completion, often normalizing AI-assisted academic outsourcing or concealing its use through paraphrasing without enough cognitive engagement. Teachers increasingly respond by adopting innovative assessment solutions like offline interactive and gamified assessments to enhance authenticity. Drawing on sociocultural theory and critical digital pedagogy, the study contributes a context-sensitive account of AI integration and proposes a conceptual model illustrating two trajectories—empowerment through AI literacy and ethical engagement, and dependency characterized by cognitive disengagement and academic outsourcing. Keywords: Generative Artificial Intelligence; English Language Teaching (ELT); Peripheral Higher Education; Academic Integrity; AI Literacy; Ethical Disengagement