AI literacy and self-regulated learning in the agentic AI era: A conceptual review of EFL learning

Authors

  • Ji Dandan Faculty of Arts, Communication & Education, Kuala Lumpur University of Science and Technology (KLUST), 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia. School of Education, Changchun University of Finance and Economics, 130122 Changchun, Jilin, China.
  • Shireena Basree Abdul Rahman Faculty of Arts, Communication & Education, Kuala Lumpur University of Science and Technology (KLUST), 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia. Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
  • Juliana Rosmidah Jaafar Faculty of Arts, Communication & Education, Kuala Lumpur University of Science and Technology (KLUST), 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol11iss2pp326-342

Abstract

The rapid shift from conversational AI to agentic AI is reshaping English as a foreign language (EFL) education. Existing frameworks of AI literacy and self-regulated learning (SRL) were developed for earlier technologies and do not fully capture the demands of sustained human-AI collaboration. This conceptual review addresses the need for an integrated framework that connects agentic AI evolution, AI literacy, and SRL in EFL contexts. Drawing on conceptual review methods, this paper synthesizes literature on AI in language education, AI literacy frameworks, SRL and co-regulation theory, and emerging research on generative AI agents. Agentic AI transforms the learner-AI relationship from isolated prompt-response exchanges into sustained, goal-directed workflows. AI literacy must therefore expand to include agent orchestration, critical evaluation, metacognitive monitoring, ethical responsibility, and contextualized language competence. SRL should be reconceptualized as human-AI co-regulation spanning goal setting, strategy selection, process monitoring, and evaluation. This review is among the first to explicitly theorize agentic AI in EFL learning by proposing five novel dimensions of AI literacy and reconceptualizing SRL as distributed human-AI co-regulation. The proposed integrated framework links antecedents, AI literacy, SRL, co-regulation processes, and EFL outcomes, offering a timely conceptual foundation for curriculum design, task design, teacher education, assessment, and future research.

 

Keywords: AI literacy, self-regulated learning, agentic AI, EFL learning, human-AI co-regulation.

 

Cite as: Ji, D., Shireena Basree, A. R., & Juliana Rosmidah, J. (2026). AI literacy and self-regulated learning in the agentic AI era: A conceptual review of EFL learning. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 11(2), 326-342. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol11iss2pp326-342

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Published

2026-07-31

How to Cite

AI literacy and self-regulated learning in the agentic AI era: A conceptual review of EFL learning. (2026). Journal of Nusantara Studies (JONUS), 11(2), 326-342. https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol11iss2pp326-342