Document is current

Article History

Received: 16 April 2025

Accepted: 24 November 2025

First Online: 9 December 2025

Competing interests

: The authors declare no competing interests.

: This study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Yangzhou University (Academic Committee of the College of International Studies) (Approval Numbers: 202405, 202406). Formal approval was granted on 20 September 2024, prior to the commencement of any research activities. The scope of this approval encompassed all aspects of the study, including the participant recruitment procedures, the informed consent process, and the data collection methods (survey). All research was performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the approving institution and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments.

: Informed consent was obtained online from all participants. Participants were presented with a digital information sheet detailing the study’s purpose, which is to investigate how digital literacy and trust influence attitudes and creativity in EFL students using AI technologies. They were informed that participation involved completing a 15–25-minute online survey on their digital skills, trust in AI, and learning experiences. It was explicitly stated that participation was voluntary and that they had the right to withdraw from the study at any point without any consequences. Participants were assured that no identifying information (such as names or IP addresses) was being collected and that all responses would remain anonymous, be treated confidentially, and be used exclusively for academic purposes, including publication. Only those who selected “I Agree” to participate were included in the study. All participants provided written online consent voluntarily during the data collection period from 23rd September to 30th November 2024.