The discursive construction of educational identity in AI-generated texts: A critical discourse analysis of ChatGPT conversations in learning contexts toward advancing quality education (SDG 4)
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Abstract
With the rapid integration of AI into educational settings, language models such as ChatGPT (an advanced AI language model that can understand and generate human-like text to assist with writing, learning, problem-solving, and conversation) have transformed how students learn, teachers communicate, and knowledge is produced and negotiated in digital environments. This study explores how identity is discursively constructed in AI-generated texts, particularly in ChatGPT conversations, from an educational perspective using the Critical Discourse Analysis framework. In this study, “educational identity” refers to the discursive positioning of roles such as expert, tutor, peer, advisor, and learner that emerge through linguistic choices in AI-mediated interactions. Employing a qualitative, interpretivist approach, this research investigates how ChatGPT’s language use shapes the roles of authority, expertise, and learner identity within digital learning interactions. The dataset consists of 30 purposively generated ChatGPT conversations simulating common educational scenarios, which were analyzed using Fairclough’s three-dimensional CDA model (textual, discursive practice, and social practice). The analysis is further informed by positioning theory and social identity theory in order to examine how AI-generated language assigns educational roles, negotiates authority, and reproduces or softens expert–novice relations. The findings revealed that ChatGPT’s discourse reflects patterns of representation and power that influence how students perceive knowledge, feedback, and educational values. Although ChatGPT can simulate pedagogical roles, such as tutors or peers, its responses are shaped by training data that may reproduce existing cultural and educational biases. This study highlights the need to critically evaluate AI as a communicative and pedagogical agent whose language practices contribute to the evolving landscape of teaching and learning. By situating AI discourse within educational contexts, this study underscores the importance of developing responsible and equitable AI-mediated learning environments.
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