This study investigated the effects of AI-based tools, including Grammarly, ChatGPT, and Quillbot, on writing quality and student engagement among secondary school students in Hong Kong. The Mix method experimental design was used, whereby 100 secondary school students were randomly divided into an experimental group where they applied AI tools and a control group where they received the traditional teacher feedback. To evaluate the improvement of the quality of writing, pre- and post-intervention writing tasks were analyzed. The findings indicated that the students in the experimental group improved significantly in their writing where the mean post-test score improved by 16.2 points (p < 0.0001), as opposed to 4.5-point improvement by the students in the control group (p = 0.02). There is a higher improvement of all the writing subscales, such as grammar (6.5 points), vocabulary (4.8 points) coherence (2.9 points), and structure (2.0 points) of the experimental group. Students in the experimental group indicated an increased engagement and motivation as well, with 92 % of them saying they were more motivated to work on their writing skills than 68 percent in the control group. The results indicate that AI tools have a strong positive effect on the quality of writing, student participation, and engagement in writing activities. Nevertheless, AI tools are capable of correction on the surface, but not the depth that teacher feedback delivers. These findings indicate that AI tools can be used alongside conventional teaching models in order to create a more interactive and engaging learning process.

1.    Aithal PS, Aithal S. How to empower educators through digital pedagogies and faculty development strategies. International Journal of Applied Engineering and Management Letters (IJAEML). 2023; 7(4): 139–183.

2.    Bai B, Guo W, Wang C. Relationships between struggling EFL writers’ motivation, self-regulated learning (SRL), and writing competence in Hong Kong primary schools. Applied Linguistics Review. 2024;15(1): 135–159. doi: 10.1515/applirev-2020-0131

3.    Black NB, George S, Eguchi A, et al. A framework for approaching AI education in educator preparation programs. In: Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence. 2024; 38(21): 23069–23077. doi: 10.1609/aaai.v38i21.30351

4.    Breakstone J, McGrew S, Smith M, et al. Why we need a new approach to teaching digital literacy. Phi Delta Kappan. 2018; 99(6): 27-32. doi: 10.1177/0031721718762419

5.    Chaudhry IS, Sarwary SAM, El Refae GA, Chabchoub H. Time to revisit existing student’s performance evaluation approach in higher education sector in a new era of ChatGPT—A case study. Cogent Education. 2023; 10(1): 2210461. doi: 10.1080/2331186x.2023.2210461

6.    Chhabriya M, Babu NN, Kumari ASP. AI’s Corrective Feedback vs. Traditional Recasts: Which fosters better grammar accuracy? In: 2024 2nd DMIHER International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, Education, and Industry (IDICAIEI). 2024. pp. 1–6. IEEE. doi: 10.1109/IDICAIEI61867.2024.10842936

7.    Chong DYK, McArthur J. Assessment for learning in a Confucian-influenced culture: beyond the summative/formative binary. Teaching in Higher Education. 2023; 28(6): 1395–1411. doi: 10.1080/13562517.2021.1892057

8.    Dawood AH, Yousif JH. Artificial Intelligence Revolution for Enhancing Modern Education Using Zone of Proximal Development Approach. Applied Computing Journal. 2025; 5(2): 386–398. doi: 10.52098/acj.20255239

9.    Education Bureau. Digital Education Centre of Excellence (CoE): Secondary schools. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Available Online: https://www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/applicable-to-primary-secondary/it-in-edu/COE/coe-secsch.html?

10.    Fang X, Gao L, Xu H. Digital divide in students’ online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of Hong Kong. Curriculum Innovation in East Asian Schools; 2024. pp. 160–185. doi: 10.4324/9781003396284-12

11.    Fatima N, Ehsan M, Darazi MA, et al. The role of feedback in enhancing creative writing skills in ELT contexts. Remittances Review. 2024; 9(3): 350–368. doi: 10.33282/rr.vx9i2.18

12.    Hariri W. Unlocking the potential of ChatGPT: A comprehensive exploration of its applications, advantages, limitations, and future directions in natural language processing. arXiv preprint arXiv. 2023; v14: 2304.02017. doi: 10.48550/arXiv.2304.02017

13.    Junaedi S. English lecturers’ perceptions towards the Quillbot app: An alternative for students in paraphrasing and rewriting English writing. International Journal of Research in Education. 2025; 5(1): 49–156. doi: 10.26877/ijre.v5i1.1219

14.    Karanjakwut C, Charunsri K. Transforming AI Chatbots for a Brainstorming Teaching Technique of Process Writing. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology. 2025; 13(1): 1–18.

15.    Khup VK, Bantugan B. Exploring the impact and ethical implications of integrating AI-powered writing tools in junior high school English instruction: Enhancing creativity, proficiency, and academic outcomes. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science. 2025; 9(3s): 361–378. doi: 10.47772/IJRISS.2025.903SEDU0022

16.    Kline S, Kang G. Reflect, reimagine, revisit: A framework for centering critical writing pedagogy. Language Arts. 2022; 99(5): 300–311. doi: 10.58680/la202231790

17.    Ladha N, Sharma V. Investigating the helpfulness of artificial intelligence in academic and scientific writing. Int Bull Manag Econ. 2022; 15(2): 20–29. 

18.    Laila N, Daulay E. Students’ perception of using Quillbot to improve students’ writing skills. Indonesian EFL Journal. 2024;10(2):223–232. doi: 10.25134/ieflj.v10i2.10083

19.    Mhlanga D. Open AI in education, the responsible and ethical use of ChatGPT towards lifelong learning. In: FinTech and artificial intelligence for sustainable development: The role of smart technologies in achieving development goals. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland; 2023. pp. 387–409.

20.    Milton C, Vidhya L, Thiruvengadam G. Examining the impact of AI-powered writing tools on independent writing skills of health science graduates. Advanced Education. 2024; 25: 143–161.

21.    Mohammad T, Falah Alzubi AA, Nazim MOHD, Khan SI. Evaluating the effectiveness of Quillbot in improving students’ paraphrasing skills: Teachers’ voices. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology. 2024; 102(6): 2556–2567.

22.    Moon D. Evaluating corrective feedback generated by an AI-powered online grammar checker. International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication. 2021; 13(4): 22–29.

23.    Netzer D. Process-oriented: A creative approach to transformative learning. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies,.2025; 44(1): 12. doi: 10.24972/ijts.2025.44.1.120

24.    Nurhidayah AI, Irawati T. Grammarly through the lens of student perception. Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Dan Studi Amerika. 2024; 30(1): 11–18. doi: 10.20961/jbssa.v30i1.87858

25.    Pinto RD, Peixoto B, Melo M, et al. Foreign language learning gamification using virtual reality—a systematic review of empirical research. Education Sciences. 2021; 11(5): 222. doi: 10.3390/educsci11050222

26.    Pranawengtias W. Undergraduate students’ motivation on English language learning at Universitas Teknokrat Indonesia. Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning. 2022; 3(2): 27–32. doi: 10.33365/JELTL.V3I2.1956

27.    Pun J, Jin X. Student challenges and learning strategies at Hong Kong EMI universities. PLoS One. 2021; 16(5): e0251564. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251564

28.    Raheem BR, Anjum F, Ghafar ZN. Exploring the profound impact of artificial intelligence applications (Quillbot, Grammarly, and ChatGPT) on English academic writing: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Integrative Research (IJIR). 2023; 1(10): 599–622. doi: 10.59890/ijir.v1i10.366

29.    Rahman MM, Terano HJ, Rahman MN,et al. ChatGPT and academic research: A review and recommendations based on practical examples. Journal of Education, Management and Development Studies. 2023; 3(1): 1–12. doi: 10.52631/jemds.v3i1.175

30.    Ramzan K, Batool A, Arslan MF, Fatima H. Evaluating human vs AI feedback on students’ performance; a comparative analysis of students at intermediate level. Journal of Applied Linguistics and TESOL (JALT). 2025; 8(1): 613–622.

31.    Salvagno M, Taccone FS, Gerli AG. Can artificial intelligence help for scientific writing? Critical Care. 2023; 27(1): 75. doi: 10.1186/s13054-023-04380-2

32.    Saputra AG, Hendriani S. Students’ perception on the advantages of using Quillbot in their English learning. IDEAS: Journal on English Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature. 2024; 12(2): 2523–2536. doi: 10.24256/ideas.v12i2.5892

33.    Shaikh AA, Kumar A, Jani K, Mitra S, García-Tadeo DA, Devarajan A. The role of machine learning and artificial intelligence for making a digital classroom and its sustainable impact on education during COVID-19. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2022; 56: 3211–3215. doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2021.09.368

34.    Slamet J. Potential of ChatGPT as a digital language learning assistant: EFL teachers’ and students’ perceptions. Discover Artificial Intelligence. 2024; 4(1): 46. doi: 10.1007/s44163-024-00143-2

35.    Steiss J, Tate T, Graham S, et al. Comparing the quality of human and ChatGPT feedback of students’ writing. Learning and Instruction. 2024; 91: 101894. doi: 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2024.101894

36.    Taskıran A, Goksel N. Automated feedback and teacher feedback: Writing achievement in learning English as a foreign language at a distance. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education. 2022; 23(2): 120–139.

37.    Thompson DL, Thompson S. Educational equity and quality in K-12 schools: Meeting the needs of all students. Journal for the Advancement of Educational Research International. 2018;12(1):34–46.

38.    Толибаев Д, Менлимуратова Е. The sociocultural component of education: enhancing motivation for second language learning[J]. Ренессанс в Парадигме Hоваций Образования и Tехнологий в XXI Веке. 2023; 1(1): 77–80.

39.    Tran TTT. Enhancing EFL writing revision practices: The impact of AI-and teacher-generated feedback and their sequences. Education Sciences. 2025; 15(2): 232. doi: 10.3390/educsci15020232

40.    Tsang CL, Isaacs T. Hong Kong secondary students’ perspectives on selecting test difficulty level and learner washback: Effects of a graded approach to assessment. Language Testing. 2022; 39(2): 212–238. doi: 10.1177/02655322211050600

41.    Werdiningsih I, Marzuki, Rusdin D. Balancing AI and authenticity: EFL students’ experiences with ChatGPT in academic writing. Cogent Arts & Humanities. 2024; 11(1): 2392388. doi: 10.1080/23311983.2024.2392388

42.    Wong PY. Exploring the effectiveness of focused written corrective feedback for L2 English writing in a Hong Kong secondary school. HKU Theses Online (HKUTO); 2022.

43.    Zeevy-Solovey O. Comparing peer, ChatGPT, and teacher corrective feedback in EFL writing: Students' perceptions and preferences. Technology in Language Teaching & Learning. 2024; 6(3): 1482–1482. doi: 10.29140/tltl. v6n3.1482