Enhancing Senior Faculty Members’ Research Writing Competence Through a Seminar-Workshop on AI Tools and Ethical AI Practices

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into higher education has created both opportunities and challenges for academic research writing, particularly for senior faculty members at MSU-ILS with limited exposure to emerging AI tools. This action research examined the effectiveness of a seminar-workshop on AI tools and ethical AI practices in enhancing senior faculty members’ research writing competence. Guided by the action research cycle of planning, action, observation, and reflection, the study involved senior faculty members from a higher education institution who participated in a structured capacity-building intervention. Data were collected using a researcher-developed, five-point Likert scale questionnaire administered before and after the seminar-workshop, focusing on baseline competence, perceived improvement, and ethical awareness in AI-assisted research writing. Descriptive statistical analysis revealed that participants initially demonstrated a moderate level of knowledge and skills in using AI tools for research writing. Following the intervention, results indicated a marked improvement in faculty members’ competence, confidence, and perceptions of the usefulness and ethical application of AI tools in academic writing. Participants reported increased awareness of ethical guidelines and greater confidence in using AI responsibly without compromising academic integrity. The findings suggest that seminar-workshops integrating both technical and ethical dimensions of AI use are effective in strengthening research writing competence among senior faculty members. The study contributes to the growing discourse on responsible AI adoption in higher education and provides practical insights for designing faculty development initiatives that support ethical and effective AI-assisted scholarly writing.