AI Prompting in Nigerian Language Classrooms: Awareness, Ethics Sensitivity, Instructional Integration, and Attitudinal Orientation

This study investigates AI Prompting in Nigerian Language Classrooms: Awareness, Ethical Considerations, Integration, and Orientation. As generative AI technologies increasingly reshape academic practices, their application in language education within the Nigerian context raises urgent questions about both opportunities and risks. Guided by the framework of Critical AI Literacy, this study explores how students perceive, adopt, and ethically negotiate AI prompting in classroom practices. Data were gathered from 1,300 undergraduate students across six Nigerian universities using a structured questionnaire, and analyzed quantitatively with R. The findings reveal that while most students exhibit basic awareness of AI tools, their understanding of ethical considerations remains limited, with issues such as plagiarism, intellectual dependency, and fairness emerging as pressing concerns. Furthermore, although students are willing to integrate AI into learning, a lack of formal orientation hampers responsible use. Demographic variables such as gender, and digital access significantly shaped patterns of awareness, ethical stance, and orientation. The study concludes that AI prompting in language classrooms must be approached not merely as a technological innovation but as a literacy practice requiring ethical grounding, curricular integration, and institutional support. It recommends embedding structured AI orientation programs into language education to promote critical, equitable, and ethical engagement with emerging digital tools.