When Love Meets AI: Humanizing EFL Classrooms through Loving Pedagogy in Digital Times

Isaee, Hossein; Barjesteh, Hamed; shirzad, shaghayegh; Manoochehrzadeh, Mehdi

Volume 11, Issue 1 (3-2026) IJREE 2026, 11(1): 79-104 | Back to browse issues page

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Isaee H, Barjesteh H, shirzad S, Manoochehrzadeh M. (2026). When Love Meets AI: Humanizing EFL Classrooms through Loving Pedagogy in Digital Times. IJREE. 11(1),
URL: http://ijreeonline.com/article-1-1053-en.html

When Love Meets AI: Humanizing EFL Classrooms through Loving Pedagogy in Digital Times

Hossein Isaee ^*

, Hamed Barjesteh

, Shaghayegh Shirzad

, Mehdi Manoochehrzadeh

Department of English Language, Am.C., Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran & Department of English Language, Am.C., Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran

Abstract: (1300 Views)

Objective: The increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education has transformed classroom interaction, raising new emotional and ethical questions for teachers. Grounded in the framework of AI-informed Loving Pedagogy, this study examined how EFL teachers experience and sustain love, empathy, and moral awareness in AI-mediated teaching contexts.
Methods: A qualitative research design was adopted to capture the nuanced emotional, ethical, and pedagogical experiences of EFL teachers who integrate AI tools into their instruction. Fifteen EFL teachers in Tehran, Iran, participated in semi-structured interviews and reflective journals.
Results: Thematic analysis yielded three interrelated themes of 1) Relational Presence in Algorithmic Spaces, 2) Moral Ambiguity and Emotional Labor, and 3) Pedagogical Renewal through AI Partnership.
Conclusion: The findings revealed that teachers intentionally personalized machine-generated communication to maintain emotional authenticity, navigated ethical uncertainty and affective fatigue while adapting to technological change, and reframed AI as a creative partner for enhancing empathy and reflective care. These insights show that love and ethical responsibility can be redefined by technological mediation. The study advances the AI-informed Loving Pedagogy framework, demonstrating how affective literacy, moral discernment, and critical AI awareness can coexist within sustainable digital teaching. The results have implications for teacher education and educational policy, emphasizing the need to prepare educators for the emotional, ethical, and cognitive dimensions of AI integration.

Keywords: Loving Pedagogy, Digital pedagogy, Empathy, Ethical Awareness

Full-Text [PDF 803 kb] (719 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special

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