Resource Dimensions Influencing Technological Appropriation in ESP Writing Instruction

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the role of the material and immaterial, social, and educational resources in the appropriation of digital and AI during English to Specific Purposes (ESP) writing instructions. Informed by van Dijk’s Resource and Appropriation Theory (RAT), the study will employ quantitative correlational survey research design and target ESP writing instructors who responded to a structured Likert-scale questionnaire. The findings reveal that motivation and teacher’s autonomy are not the only factor to define technological appropriation in ESP settings but is also shaped by the access to institutional infrastructural resources, training facilities, and participatory decision-making environments. Material and social resources emerged as central facilitators, where immaterial resources like autonomy and flexibility remained in the periphery, but played a significant supporting role. It was demonstrated that educational abilities like the ability to adapt writing instruction through the usage of the digital tools are dependent on the access of materials and the collaborative institutional cultures. This paper reiterates that ESP writing training that necessitates task-specific and discipline-relevant instruction cannot be simply a matter of individual ingenuity it must be backed up by systemic support. The results support an integrated approach to digital integration in ESP, which is based on balanced infrastructure, empowerment, and professional development to provide technological equity in the process.