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This article investigates the relative effectiveness of online and paper-based formative assessment in the learning of English as a second language. For this study, 74 Japanese university second language (L2) students took online quizzes, while 71 were given paper-based quizzes to complete. The quiz content was drawn from learning material found in the class textbook. Both groups were assigned the exercises as homework. At the end of the 15-week study period, both groups were administered a summative assessment that also covered learning points from the textbook. After controlling for the learners' L2 proficiency through their TOEIC test scores, the performance of the two groups on the formative quiz was compared through correlation and regression analysis. While there was found to be a statistically significant relationship between the online formative assessment and summative exam scores, this was not the case for the paper-based homework. When compared through an analysis of covariance, there was found to be a significant interaction between group and homework on exam scores. The online group was more affected by their homework score than the pencil and paper group. The findings from this study have implications for teachers, learners and curriculum developers.

Several researchers have compared the efficacy of digital flashcards (DFs) versus paper flashcards (PFs) to improve L2 vocabulary and have concluded that using DFs is more effective (Azabdaftari & Mozaheb, 2012; Basoglu & Akdemir, 2010; Kiliçkaya & Krajka, 2010). However, these studies did not utilize vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) as a way to support the vocabulary development of those using PFs. This is significant because DFs often offer a range of features to promote vocabulary development, whereas PFs are much more basic; thus, learners who study via paper materials are at a disadvantage compared with those who use DFs. Given the success that VLSs have had in fostering L2 vocabulary enhancement (e.g., Mizumoto & Takeuchi, 2009), their incorporation could have influenced the previous studies. Therefore, one of the primary aims of this study was to find if there were significant differences in receptive and productive L2 vocabulary improvements between students who used PFs in conjunction with 3 VLSs -- dropping, association, and oral rehearsal -- and those who used the DF tools Quizlet and Cram. Additionally, the researchers examined the learners' opinions to see if there was a preference for either study method. A total of 52 EFL students at two Japanese universities participated in the 12-week study. Pre- and post-tests were administered to measure the vocabulary gains in the PF group (n = 26) and the DF group (n = 26). Results from a paired t-test revealed that both groups made significant improvements in receptive and productive vocabulary. However, the difference between the gains was not significant, which contrasts with past comparison studies of DFs and PFs and highlights the importance of VLSs. A 10-item survey with closed and Likert-scale questions was also administered to determine the participants' opinions towards the study methods. Higher levels of agreement were found in the experimental group, indicating that the students viewed DFs more favorably than PFs.

The Australian Science Teachers Association offers an innovative international professional development program for science teachers called the Science Teachers Exchange -- Japan. The program offers Australian and Japanese teachers an opportunity to travel to the corresponding country, allowing the teachers to grow in their knowledge of the culture and teaching practices of that country and potentially develop national and international networks. The article herein was written by Takeshi Tsuji, an elementary teacher from Tokyo, who participated in the 2017 Exchange program to Australia. As part of this program, Tsuji visited Mudgeeraba Creek State School on the Gold Coast, where he observed a fifth grade STEM lesson taught by STEM science teacher Megan Hayes, and later taught a lesson to the same class. On entering Hayes' classroom, Tsuji immediately noticed a large poster with the word 'FAIL' on it; an acronym standing for 'First Attempt In Learning'. It translates to "failure = first step in learning," meaning that learning starts from failure. This [unedited] translation of the article -- taken from a Japanese equivalent to "Teaching Science" -- takes on the theme of how students face failure and how teachers can deepen classroom learning with this acronym in mind.

Academic reading has been less emphasized compared with academic writing as a site of research inquiry. Although some studies have examined reading strategy use in academic reading (e.g., Block, 1986; Plakans, 2009), these studies used short passages only, and there have been a few studies that have focused on the mental representation constructed while we read research papers (e.g., Wyatt et al., 1993). Considering that academic discourse has a particular, distinct structure (e.g., Swales, 1990), it is necessary to examine the process of reading academic papers separately from that of reading in general, focusing on the rhetorical particularities of academic discourse. Against this research background, we investigated how Japanese EFL students read English academic papers, focusing on the interactions among L2 proficiency, reading strategies, and the rhetorical features of the papers. We used the following methods: video observation, the "think-aloud protocol," document analysis of notes taken by the participants while reading, and a post-reading interview. The reading strategies identified on the basis of the think-aloud protocol were categorized into local, global, and metacognitive strategies. The main results were as follows. First, the Japanese EFL readers had difficulty recognizing academic discourse. Therefore, they could not read the papers efficiently. Second, the students focused on understanding formulas and figures presented in the documents. Third, although the students used local and global strategies frequently, their purposes in using these strategies varied depending on their L2 competence, their background knowledge about the topic of the paper, and their familiarity with the discipline-specific academic discourse.

This study is applying critical discourse analysis (CDA) to mission statements of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the Kansai area of Japan to examine how those texts may be reflecting their views on migration and impacting their practices related to international students. The analysis shows similarities across CSO types in choosing organizational names, using vague and bureaucratic vocabulary for formulating their mission statements, as well as confusing and contradictory style of some statements and event announcements that may be misleading or discouraging for potential members. At the same time, diversity of vocabulary referring to their target audience demonstrates shifting perspectives of CSOs on international students and more generally, on foreigners living in Japan.

Facebook has best leveraged the rapid technological and societal changes over the past decade to grow into the world's largest social-networking site (SNS). However, research of Facebook has lagged behind other Web 2.0 technologies, particularly in regards to investigating its efficacy versus a control group to improve L2 writing. This study, which involved 30 Japanese university English as a foreign language (EFL) students, aims to fill this gap in the literature by examining three areas of L2 writing, namely--writing fluency, lexical richness, and grammatical accuracy--in an experimental group using Facebook (n = 16) and a control group (n = 14) using paper-and-pencil. Both groups underwent a 12-week treatment of two in-class focused freewritings a week. Three writing assessments were administered at the start, middle, and end of the treatment to assess its effectiveness. Results from the Mann-Whitney test showed that the experimental group made more significant gains in terms of writing fluency. On the other hand, neither group made significant progress in lexical richness nor grammatical accuracy. These findings strengthen previous research in support of the use of Facebook in L2 classes and highlight the need for additional studies comparing Facebook with other writing mediums.

This publication seeks to consider statistics education in Japan while referencing a student paper. The paper to be considered is as follows: "Gakusei no Koudou ga Gakusei Seikatsu Manzokudo ni Ataeru Eikyou" (The Influence of Student Behavior on the Degree of Satisfaction Perceived in Student Life).

This paper examines how public education can ensure equity and diversity by clarifying the "democratic aspects" that can be captured through school-community collaborative activities in Japan and the U.S. As a result of comparison and analysis, it is indicated that in both Japan and the U.S., these activities are conducted in the context of streamlining educational administration. In addition, the participation in school management of diverse people such as local residents, parents, and children is promoted in order to grasp their needs and achieve deliberation on an equal footing. In contrast to Japan, however, these activities in the U.S. put importance on providing health and educational services to disadvantaged families and children. Furthermore, they aim to change not only schools but also communities. Therefore, this paper suggests that "democratic aspects" encompassed by collaborative activities have multiple layers: (1) "compensatory-type" (status-quo satisfaction -oriented democratic aspects), (2) "participatory-type" (deliberation-oriented democratic aspects), and (3) "transformative-type" (status-quo change-oriented democratic aspects). In order to guarantee equity of education that ensures fairness and inclusion to all children, this paper clarifies the importance of having both activities that distribute educational and welfare services on a curve to disadvantaged children and families (compensatory-type) and activities that involve children themselves in the practice, leading to the transformation and creation of the world (participatory and transformative type). The types of activities described above do not necessarily set the transformative-type as the ultimate goal. The three types interact together and pave the way toward a democratic and equitable education that is open to all and respects the voices of minorities.

The purpose of this paper is to explore ways to cultivate learners who can take part in inquiry, discussion, and action toward realizing an equitable society from the perspective of the SDGs and ESD. After confirming the importance of dealing with the concept of and the issues around equity with consideration of the mutual interdependence among all 17 SDGs, the paper notes that the "inclusive and equitable quality education" mentioned in SDG 4 is assumed to be achieved by the integrated improvement and organization of a variety of aspects, such as educational environment, policy, systems, budget, teachers, and competency development. Next, based on the importance of competency development of all learners through ESD, the paper demonstrates the potentials of objective-referenced assessment for ESD. Finally, the paper proposes a tentative idea on a set of objectives for lessons on equity from the perspective of ESD, as a useful way to develop school-based curricula of quality ESD at each school and to promote effective lessons on equity to prepare learners who can attain the necessary competencies and take part in inquiry, discussion, and action toward realizing an equitable society

This paper examined the actual circumstances of the recent teacher shortage in public elementary and junior high schools in X Prefecture. Although teacher shortages had been reported, few previous studies had investigated them empirically. With the cooperation of all five branch offices of the Board of Education, data were collected through three surveys: 1) a questionnaire survey in June 2021 of the branch offices, 2) three interview surveys in July 2021 of the administrative officers at the town level, and 3) a 2019-2021 visiting survey of the branch offices of X Prefecture and of four towns. First, the actual amount of shortage as of May 1, 2021 was scrutinized by the questionnaire survey, clarifying the shortage into three stages. 1) Positions for 1,971 full-time teachers with tenure were unfilled as the first stage. 2) Teachers without tenure were subsequently recruited, still leaving 150 unfilled positions as the second stage. 3) Finally, part-time teachers were recruited, still leaving 115 unfilled positions as the third stage. 4) In the end, each school was required to manage by themselves. This survey also made it clear that the teacher shortage increased in each term because more and more teachers left work due to childbirth or illness, with no substitutes. This suggests that the design of the first national teacher shortage survey by the Ministry of Education in July 2021 should be redone, as it focused only on the condition of the first term. Second, the paper disclosed that the teacher shortage had increased since 2018 in this prefecture. This was caused by multiple factors at micro/mezzo/ macro levels at each stage. 1) There were three background factors for the first stage. (1) Although the numbers of teachers were strictly determined by national law, the government had made no improvements for 41 years. The local government had additionally decreased teacher numbers in order to prepare for a teacher surplus in the future, based on the declining birthrate. However, teacher demands were enlarged by the increase of children with special needs. (2) Administrators were reluctant to hire teachers with tenure. The risk of the prohibited surplus of teachers was multiplied because of the increased number of small and mutable special education classes. (3) The applicants for hiring exams decreased. Teaching itself was not as attractive as before. (4) Maternity leaves not only increased but grew longer. 2) The shortage in the second stage was caused by the lack of teachers without tenure. Few teachers were on the candidate list because most of them were already hired with tenure. 3) The shortage in the third stage was caused by the teacher license renewal system, which began in 2009. Many licenses were already expired. Third, the effects of the shortage were examined, finding that teachers were compelled to overwork because each school had to cover 3.91 teachers' worth of absence as a team. The paper also found that 60% of current teachers had less than 10 years' experience, which is expected to have negative effects both on the quality of teaching and the professionalization of teaching.

This paper presents a midterm review of a 4-year factor analysis project aimed at validating an outcome-based assessment of study-abroad programs attended by Japanese students. This paper outlines how the results from the initial two years captured changes in perceptions and reasons for studying abroad. It found that students have become increasingly focused on how the experience will impact their future careers. This is a shift from those who studied abroad before the COVID-19 pandemic. Those students motivations for studying abroad were primarily internal and experiential, such as wanting to improve their language skills and experience life in another country, or external and passive reasons arising from the circumstances or opinions of family or friends. The research also indicates how awareness of this shift could assist administrators in designing and conducting successful international experiences.

In response to the economic pressures of globalisation, the Japanese government has sought to internationalise its universities while at the same time attempting to protect Japan's culture. To achieve its goals, namely the increase in the number of international students and the development of human resources, it has initiated a number of top-down, quantitative policies which promote the Internationalisation of Higher Education (IoHE) through an increase in the provision of English Medium Instruction (EMI) courses. This paper provides a critical analysis of the government's approach and how the policies have been implemented by universities. The paper contends that the government's approach has enabled universities, which do not wish to make substantive changes to their curricula, to peripheralise EMI courses. The consequence of this is that the government's current approach of promoting EMI to internationalise Japanese universities is unlikely to achieve its goals.

An educational experiment illustrates the electrolysis of water and copper chloride to middle school science students. The electrolysis cell is composed of filter paper soaked with Na[subscript 2]SO[subscript 4] or CuCl[subscript 2] aqueous solution sandwiched, along with a sheet of platinum foil, between two coin-type lithium batteries. When the electrolysis is carried out, the electrolysis cell is connected to a current indicator with a light-emitting diode (LED) and to a current-regulating diode (CRD). Because no elaborate components such as an ammeter, dc supply, or Hoffman Cell are needed, the experiment is easy and inexpensive to carry out. In addition, the time needed to obtain the result is less than 5 min and the results are visually clear. The water electrolysis experiment was tried in science classes of ninth grade students, and the responses from the students were positive. (Contains 7 figures.)

This article aims to elevate the appreciation of Dr Michael D. Fetters's contributions to mixed methods pedagogy by highlighting his innovative teaching methods called the "mixed methods treasure hunt." Utilizing Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, this paper provides a detailed examination of how Fetters's legacy can be adapted and extended to Japan and beyond. It explores the efficacy of the mixed methods treasure hunt as a pedagogical tool, offering promising solutions for mixed methods research education. This paper contributes to the field by providing a practical methodology that bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application and enhances learning opportunities, especially for mixed methods learners in the East Asian cultural context, thereby broadening the applicability and impact of Fetters's legacy.

This reflective paper shares the experiences of a higher education professional living and working abroad and the long-term impacts of those experiences on their self-authorship journey through reflection ten years later. The story of this reflection focuses on how cultural differences and community ties helped to facilitate growth and self-confidence through navigating the challenges and complexities of living abroad in a culture with differing conventions. The paper concludes by sharing how reflecting on self-authorship during and after international experiences can help develop personal identities both as an individual and within a collective.

We have developed a circuit board using materials that are inexpensive and familiar to elementary school students. Most of the responses from students who made this board were relatively positive and we observed them enjoy making the boards at a Science Festival in Japan and in elementary school. As an application, we also developed a tiny torch using similar materials and a similar method. The method of making the board and the torch are explained in detail, and the characteristics of the board are presented along with students' impressions. (Contains 8 figures.)

In many academic writing textbooks and style guides the use of personal pronouns is not encouraged. This is particularly problematic for non-native speakers of English trying to express themselves in a second language as, although personal pronouns are a clear signal of the writers' identity and presence in a text, they are usually advised not to use them. Therefore, in order to understand more about the use of personal pronouns by non-native speakers, this study examined a corpus of argumentative essays written by first-year Japanese university students. Whilst the use of personal pronouns has been well documented, there has been less written about how we, as educators, can help our learners understand how to use them to shape their identities as academic writers. Therefore, this article attempts to address this by suggesting a possible pedagogical approach to teaching the use of personal pronouns in academic writing.

This paper examines the significance and potential of educational practices of evening junior high schools (yakan chugaku). After World War II, evening junior high schools were established for children who could not attend daytime junior high schools, and later those who had not completed compulsory education beyond school age began to study there. After the Act on Securing Educational Opportunities Equivalent to Ordinary Education at the Stage of Compulsory Education was enacted in 2016, new evening junior high schools have gradually begun to be established. This paper provides an overview of the history and present of evening junior high schools and then discusses the case of Osaka Prefecture, where the most advanced emancipatory educational practices, so-called "liberation education (kaiho kyoiku)," have taken place since the 1970s. It focuses on the practice of Kim Hyangdoja, a second generation Zainichi Korean who teaches at an evening junior high school in Higashi-Osaka City. She and her colleagues have sought a way for marginalized people, especially first-generation Zainichi Korean women, to become aware of their historical and social position. We considered the significance of her practice, "Writing my history with photos," similar to Paulo Freire's literacy education. We clarified that this practice is not only for making personal history, but is also an arena for expressing the identities of different social groups.

This paper reconsiders the concept of "inclusion" by examining conceptions of "totality/wholeness," while exploring conflicts and dilemmas among various actors across the boundaries between the formal and non-formal in the Japanese public education system. Referencing the process surrounding the enactment of the new law on securing educational opportunities, the notion of "diversity" is examined as it pertains to the conflict between "publicness" in formal schools, which includes ideas related to diversity and heterogeneity (otherness), and "freedom to educate" in non-formal education. Analysis suggests that it is undesirable to establish a definitive boundary between the two; instead, maintaining a form of tentative, intersectional, and responsive boundary would result in more effective understanding of the diverse needs of people who feel marginalized. Based on this, the author explores a theoretical model which withstands such questions of inclusion. From the perspective of the "included party," which has its own heterogeneous values in relation to mainstream value systems, the author proposes a "responsive wholeness" model in contrast to a "concentric totality" model in order to reexamine the idea of inclusion. Finally, the paper outlines suggestions for reexamining "inclusion" grounded in this model.

International student exchange is integral to internationalization at higher education institutions and global human resource development in Japan. However, border closures and restrictions on physical mobility since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced universities to adopt virtual mobility models to deliver international exchange programs. This study explores students' experiences of taking virtual exchange programs and their pedagogical implications for future virtual exchange programs. In this paper, we present one case of virtual student mobility implemented at one national university in Japan. Analysis of multiple data sets, including student surveys (n=789), reflection papers (n=420), and interviews with a program administrator and a faculty member, revealed that this type of virtual student mobility program has strong merits in promoting internationalization activities. Students were satisfied with the diverse interdisciplinary academic content, flexibility in taking the course, and opportunity to engage with the host university faculty members and international students. Many have expressed their interest in studying at the host university in person.

This paper replicates models developed by previous research to study the effects of graduate education on new graduates' initial employment in the Japanese labor market. If education is the best investment for an individual's economic success, then graduate degrees are expected to provide an individual with higher-earning job opportunities. Despite this reasonable economic premise, previous research showed that master's degrees in the humanities or social sciences in Japan have, in fact, a negative impact on obtaining initial employment compared to those with only a bachelor's degree in the humanities or social sciences. This previous research, however, could not overcome omitted variable bias because of data limitations. Omitted variable bias is a key problem for research on education; therefore, this study uses new longitudinal data to overcome omitted variable bias and clearly demonstrate the robustness of these earlier findings. The empirical results of this study corroborate earlier work, showing that master's degrees in the humanities or social sciences do not provide graduate students with an advantage in obtaining initial employment, after controlling for potential bias. At the same time, this study also confirms that natural science majors have a higher probability of obtaining initial employment in comparison with humanities or social science majors. In other words, this paper offers a valid replication of existing research. This shows that the Japanese labor market structure for graduate students has, in essence, remained the same since previous research was completed.

This paper investigates the challenges EFL instructors faced while delivering online classes during the pandemic in Japan in order to help language instructors improve the quality of classroom interaction they provide. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven EFL instructors at the English Department of a Japanese university. Participants revealed how they overcame challenges to engage students in online class interactions. However, the instructors pointed out that the online pedagogical training that they had received was inadequate. The paper argues that universities should formulate standardized guidelines for online education and expand the opportunities provided for instructors to receive adequate training.

This paper analyses Japan's COVID-19 response drawing on a survey of more than 3200 prospective international students affected by the (colloquially named) #JapanTravelBan. The paper charts the evolution of Japan's COVID-19 response from the earliest border restrictions in February 2020 to the eventual blanket reopening to international students in Summer 2022. Subsequently, survey DATA provide evidence of (1) the drastic mental health effects for prospective international students during this time, (2) students' loss of agency due to the protracted uncertainty of both policy and communication from the Japanese government, and (3) potential damage caused to Japan's reputation as a study destination. Drawing on these findings the paper offers broader suggestions for appropriate student migration policymaking: greater transparency, attention to students' security throughout their study sojourn, an emphasis on stability, and resilience to crises.

Purpose: Education is widely recognized as a key domain for the promotion of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), prompting an increased focus on sustainable development in foreign language education. Despite increased attention, guidelines about SDGs are often primarily policy-based without concrete guidance, and the integration of education for sustainable development (ESD) within higher education curricula has been slow. This paper aims to mitigate this gap by providing an outline for the curriculum development for three elective English courses integrating SDG themes. Design/methodology/approach: The paper begins by introducing the SDGs, ESD and its application to language education. From there, this paper outlines three content and language integrated learning courses that integrate global issues into their curriculum. Finally, there is a discussion and consideration of various factors to consider when implementing global issues into an English language classroom. Findings: Following practical examples of how to integrate global issues into an English language classroom, considerations such as socio-cultural context, teaching context and the expertise of the instructor are discussed. Originality/value: This paper covers a variety of social topics related to sustainable development in addition to the often addressed environmental topics. Many guidelines about integrating SDGs into education are policy-based without concrete guidance, so this paper aims to provide practical examples and considerations.

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss the significance of teacher authorship ("jissen kiroku") developed during "jugyo kenkyu." Specifically, it explores the structural conditions of "jugyo kenkyu" that enabled the flourishing of "jissen kiroku." Design/methodology/approach: To find how "jissen kiroku" developed in "jugyo kenkyu," this paper settled triad of authors-text-readers as the analytical perspective. Disputes through 1960s-1980s are adequate to inquire because it can elucidate how readers read "jissen kiroku," which is typically challenging to observe. Findings: "Jissen kiroku" is a powerful tool for semantically preserving, reconstructing and consolidating professional values and knowledge in "jugyo kenkyu" with deepening connoisseurship. Voluntary educational research associations (VERAs) encourage teachers to write and read "jissen kiroku" to develop their professionalism, which also helped develop exclusive semantics within the field. These developments were possible due to the public nature of "jissen kiroku," disseminated to lesson study (LS) actors, thereby strengthening discussions both inside and outside VERAs. Research limitations/implications: The paper proposes shift in views on educational science and emphasizes authorship as authority in that professionalism of teaching can be protected and elevated through authoring. Originality/value: The significant roles of writing practice have not been explored enough. This paper finds the value of authorship in terms of public nature and openness to all teachers which enable the enhancement of professionalism of the LS field.

Purpose: As UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs) are integrated across Asia-Pacific Higher Education Institutes (HEIs), the purpose of this descriptive and exploratory study is to investigate undergraduates' own self-stated commitment to the SDGs and their perceived feasibility by the 2030 target. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-methodology approach covered quantitative and qualitative approaches facilitated by purposive selection of an Asia-Pacific HEI via a Japanese liberal arts college where a questionnaire survey was administered in Autumn 2021. Responses were monitored from freshmen students in twin courses within the same major (introduction to "Environment" and "Development" studies, respectively; "n" = 177) that both integrated SDGs within their respective curricula. Findings: Students in both classes rated the SDGs as a useful learning tool but were sceptical of their feasibility by 2030. A self-stated commitment was high, especially among environment studies students. Multiple regression was run to predict SDGs commitment from gender, major, perceived SDGs' usefulness and feasibility. These variables partially predicted SDGs commitment but only gender and major variables added statistical significance. Moreover, the same variables were less equivocal in terms of predicting the self-stated belief that the SDGs could be achieved by 2030. Practical implications: The findings can inform instructors of students' perceptions towards SDGs. Significant differences raise academic and applied discussion points, such as how to engage male students, for example, by setting up sustainability "business case" practicums. Originality/value: As global HEIs grapple with effective ways to vertically integrate SDGs into a university's curriculum, students' opinions are often underrepresented. This paper's originality and value address these gaps by exploring a holistic student-centric perspective on SDGs in the context of commitment. This paper also has implications for more effective cross-curricula integration of the SDGs.

Inequality and injustice in education have been viewed from the perspective of social justice. Since the emergence of John Rawls's "A Theory of Justice," social justice issues have attracted the attention of social and political philosophers. Theoretical consequences of social and political philosophy have been actively incorporated into the field of education. However, the issue of educational justice remains controversial and requires further philosophical consideration. To further philosophical consideration, this paper explores how the class or the classroom can generate space and time for democracy, by focusing on the educational specificity of the classroom community, which is called 'Gakkyu' in Japanese. Social justice in education is not only a policy issue, but also a practical issue which should be tackled in the classroom. Rethinking the ways of democracy to face conflicts arising due to differences and equality of children in the classroom is an important method of bridging social justice and education. In this paper, the following question will be explored: how classroom democracy can be nurtured and the classroom community transformed into a democratic place where children from various background and experiences gather and learn from each other.

This paper examines learners' fluency development in L2 silent reading rate and comprehension. In both L1 and L2 readings, a positive relationship between readers' silent reading rate and comprehension has not been as firmly established as theories might propose. Based on Wallot et al. (2014), the paper indicates the need to look at readers' silent reading rates as a process rather than a result of the reading act. Variability L2 readers face while reading reflects their successful and unsuccessful attempts to comprehend the text they are reading. Through a new examination of unpublished data from Taguchi et al. (2012), the paper proposes to look at readers' silent reading fluency development across a longer period. In addition, it indicates the need to consider different purposes readers set for their reading to understand how their rates vary. This proposal has practical implications for not only researchers but also classroom practitioners.

Using the contrast between "formal equality" and "equity," this study employs Amartya Sen's concept of capability to illustrate the relational structure of the distributive principle behind Japan's education system and policies, as well as its problems. In addition, it presents a practical principle and measures for implementing an educational system and policies that emphasize equity. The results demonstrate that Japan's educational system and policies emphasize formal equality and distribute goods on the principle of equity only to some children with difficulties. Additionally, a growing demand for both formal equality and equity has emerged in recent years. The reality, however, is a reciprocal relationship where the majority of students are still expected to achieve a high level of functioning, while "diverse learning spaces" are expanded for those children who cannot keep up. This paper explains that to move beyond this situation and realize an educational system and policies that emphasize equity and guarantee capability will be possible by ensuring that the distribution of goods and services for children with difficulties benefits all children. This can be accomplished by adopting the philosophy of "caring educational administration."

The purpose of this paper is to examine the current position and possibilities of teacher education for diversity in Japan, with reference to discussions on teacher education for diversity in other countries. To achieve this purpose, we pose the following two research concerns. One is the organization of international trends in teacher education for diversity and the clarification of their characteristics. The other is the clarification of the characteristics and challenges of current teacher education for diversity in Japan from the perspective of teacher education policy and practices in teacher preparation programs. In terms of the first concern, we focus on trends in discussions of teacher education for diversity in the United States and Europe, from which it is evident that teacher education for diversity is not simply about correcting the achievement gap in the context of educational equity but is designed to create an equitable and inclusive society. This is a rethinking of teacher education in relation to the state of society and has the potential to take the debate on attempting to ensure equity in the school setting one step further. Regarding the second concern, we focus on human rights education in teacher education and analyze the contents of human rights education syllabi in teacher preparation programs, finding therein a focus on the development of knowledge and understanding of individual issues related to human rights and the historical contextualization of issues. This means that human rights education in teacher preparation focuses on how to teach and promote human rights education in schools, so that teachers have few opportunities to consider the relationship between themselves and human rights, such as how they perceive human rights in society.

Involving the global issues as listed in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education is necessarily done in the education process, especially in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning. Exposure to global issues is known to improve students' understanding, awareness, and ability to solve urgent issues faced by global society. This paper aims to find out the trend of research on the coverage of SDGs in students' learning process. This systematic literature analysis was done by applying Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Method. A total of 25 studies were recognized through a systematic search by using Sustainability, SDGs, and EFL as keywords. The result shows that the trend of associating SDGs with EFL settings was done mostly in Indonesia. In the recent year 2022, it reached the highest number of studies in the particular matter with 7 total of research. It was also found that the study involving SDGs on EFL learning was mostly done in the tertiary setting, compared with K-12, junior high school, secondary, high school, and other educational institutions. It was also discovered that the specific area of study enhances EFL students' learning achievement, environmental awareness, global citizen values, as well as students' levels of self-norms, beliefs, and self-value.

Purpose: During Japan's initial pandemic prevention and control period, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan (MEXT) issued several notifications to ensure students' continuous learning according to the "leave no one behind" philosophy. This study focused on the comprehensive measures comprising top-level arrangements to implement the "suspending classes without stopping learning" initiative. Design/Approach/Methods: The study reviewed MEXT's guide on ensuring learning for Japanese primary and secondary school students during the pandemic. Findings: The pandemic has accelerated the development of the information and communications technology educational environment and the implementation of the Global and Innovation Gateway for All (GIGA) schools initiative. These developments laid the foundation for the evolution of diverse pedagogical models and feasible methods for promoting equity. The home schooling experience during the pandemic provided a natural base for students to practice and foster survivability. Originality/Value: This paper provides scholars with an understanding of the opportunities and challenges encountered in educational innovation in Japan. It provides insights into the future direction of pedagogical development, capability development, and effective educational arrangements for extraordinary circumstances to facilitate educational development from a broader perspective, particularly under the new normal.

English education in Japan has traditionally focused on grammar over communication, and the country has struggled to compete internationally in terms of English proficiency scores. As the country works toward the internationalization of higher education, improving English education is an important issue. One potential solution is the use of topics that elicit students' interest and make them feel like part of the international community. This paper explored the use of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a topic due to their global importance and position, along with English, as a key to furthering the global citizenship of Japan's youth. Because of the substantial number of SDGs, not all goals can be realistically addressed in a single course. Therefore, to find topics tailored to students' interests in sustainability, this study examined the relationship between student interest in sustainability, International Posture (IP), and personal connection to SDGs. A survey was given to 266 first-year university students in general education English classes. A separate multiple regression analysis was conducted for the target variable, "Topic Interest" within English class for each goal, to determine how the effects and significance of variables differed for each SDG. Results showed that the IP subscale, "Intergroup Approach Tendency," was significant for 14 and "Personal Value" was significant for 16 of the goals. For internationally minded students engaged in the study of English as a foreign language, the SDGs could be a useful motivational tool.

This study presents an international collaboration in the Students Meet Internationally through Language Education (SMILE) project and investigates how the SMILE project impacts Thai EFL students. This program provides students with opportunities to use English as an Authentic Communication Tool (E-ACT) by sharing their experiences and culture with high school peers in Japan online. Thirty-one Thai twelfth graders from a public high school in Bangkok participated in the SMILE project in the 2022 academic year. The course of the SMILE project we describe in this paper consisted of four collaboration classes (50 minutes, four times), and each class consisted of two sessions (25 minutes, twice). In each session, the Thai students met Japanese students in the same school grade in small groups with four or five students in total. These classes were conducted via online channels. Thai students' data were collected from class observations, interviews, and questionnaires. The results revealed that the Thai students: (1) increased their confidence in using English; (2) gained broader perspectives from the cultural exchange sessions; (3) were eager to have similar collaborations with new Japanese students; and (4) showed clear enjoyment in their activities. Given these benefits, we conclude that the experience that student participants gained through the SMILE project had a substantial impact on them, which is likely to change their attitude toward studying English in the future. Besides, we discuss how current approaches to learner psychology may or may not be applied to our findings. Based on the results, the authors argue that having students with different first languages meet online should be conducted more widely in EFL circumstances.

Although an accurate measure of vocabulary size is integral to understanding the proficiency of language learners, the validity of multiple-choice (M/C) vocabulary tests to determine this has been questioned due to users guessing correct answers which inflates scores. In this paper the nature of guessing and partial knowledge used when taking the Vocabulary Size Test (VST) is examined. The analysis evaluates the thought processes of test takers through think-aloud protocols and self-reports. This provides a taxonomy of seven types of guesses used by learners while taking the VST and measures the frequency of their occurrence. Based on qualitative coding, guesses are investigated to determine if they exhibit partial word knowledge which is relevant to the test construct. The findings suggest that both guesses resulting from the use of partial knowledge and random guesses are included in estimates and this has a detrimental effect on test accuracy. The paper concludes that the VST does not provide an accurate measure of the vocabulary necessary for reading due to guessing and the meaning-recognition format. It also suggests that the role of partial knowledge should be considered when producing more sophisticated vocabulary tests in the future.

Over the past decade, international or migrant faculty researchers have explored the work roles, academic experiences, and identities of this community, while a new body of research has begun to draw on insights from migration studies to investigate to what extent and how they are integrated on campus. This paper seeks to extend these discussions by considering on-campus support for international faculty, their integration into the host society, and the relationship between these factors. Focusing on Japan and drawing on both a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews of recipients of the prestigious Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Post-Doctoral Fellowship, this study reveals that on-campus support is associated with higher levels of integration in Japanese society, but there are notable deficiencies in the linguistic and social support offered by universities. These findings indicate that universities seeking to attract and retain international talent should initially invest in language learning support services and reflect on the intermediary role they play between international faculty members and the local community.

This paper reports on teacher research which explored the practicality and potential of World Englishes (WE)-informed pedagogy in the Japanese secondary education context. Based on qualitative data from written reflections and post-unit individual interviews with seven high school students in Japan, this paper presents students' perceptions of the English language, their learning of it, and its use, detailing the impact the instructional unit had on these students. The data showed that the unit enabled the students to critically reflect on ideologies surrounding the English language, heightening their awareness of the multiplicity and complexity of its use and users. In addition, increased desire to learn about different Englishes and improved perceptions toward students' own English were observed. However, the data also revealed an unexpected effect on one student's perception toward English, implying that the instructional unit might have stressed the significance and power of English over other languages. Drawing from these findings, pedagogical implications as well as future directions for English language education are discussed.

Primary schooling, where the majority of students start learning formally about social interaction and civic expectations, reflects much about a nations' approach to education and the goals for their citizens. After a brief comparison of the purpose of education in both New Zealand and Japan, through the use of textual and content analysis, this paper firstly analyzes school mission (vision) statements to explore the degree of diversity that exists within the public school sector in New Zealand and Japan. One hundred and fifty primary school mission statements in New Zealand and Japan were examined and grouped according to content and common themes based on a modified and simplified version of Stemler and Bebell (The school mission statement: values, goals, and identities in American education, Routledge, New York 2012)'s rubric. Next, the results of this survey were compared with a previous Japanese one (BERD) (School education statements. The present state of education 2010), then cross-culturally by an examination of the main concepts that emerged in both countries. Finally, the paper attempts to shed light on the overall differences that exist between the two nations' primary education systems and what these reveal about its role in the respective societies in terms of the fostering of citizens for potential future contribution in the world.

As arguments for the liberalization of education grow more heated, how are we to approach Japanese schools as a community? This paper clarifies the basic concept of the "small schools" theory typified by the METI "Future Classrooms" (functionalist and individualist reorganizations), and organizes the relevant points of debate. In particular, the paper examines the issues of individuation and personalization represented by individual optimization of learning, promotionism (an attendance-based credit acquisition) and retentionism (an achievement-based credit acquisition), merit promotion and social promotion, and grade and class systems. Based thereon, the paper presents a perspective on the reconstruction of the communality and publicness of Japanese schools. [Translated by Nadezhda Murray.]

This paper begins by revisiting my earlier critical review of the international scholarship on Japanese schooling (Takayama, 2011). In this work, I critiqued three books on Japanese schooling, by Ryoko Tsuneyoshi (2001), Nancy Sato (2004), and Peter Cave (2007), along with other English-language scholarships on Japanese education. Drawing on a postcolonial critique of culture and difference, my work identified the underlying culturalist logic of the existing literature, where the cultural binary of Japan (East) vs West was unproblematically accepted and reinforced, the homogeneity of Japan was assumed, and culture was conceptualized as the predominant force shaping Japanese pedagogic practices. Erased from the discussion of Japanese education, it was suggested, were power and domination and the role of culture in perpetuating the ideology of cultural homogeneity and uneven relations in/through Japanese schooling. More than ten years later, this paper reassesses this critique in light of the emerging scholarship of Hikaru Komatsu and Jeremy Rappleye. who draw on a similar culturalist discourse of Japanese pedagogy and explicitly mobilize the 'Japanese difference' thus generated to peculiarize and parochialize the Western cultural premises of 'best practices' promoted by international organizations. Through critical engagement with their research, I identify five themes/challenges around which the broader implications of their research are explored, while demonstrating how doing so has also forced me to rethink my earlier critique.

One of the most challenging questions in philosophical and anthropological inquiries on skill learning is how skills can be shared and acquired among people, especially when they cannot be easily verbalized or written. This paper examines the process of skill learning among Western and Eastern artists of puppetry. They learn the skill generally by observation and imitation, typical of "informal" education. However, most of the highly developed contemporary arts have their own educational formats in which skills are shared and learnt systematically, albeit flexibly, through interactions between instructors and learners, comprising not only verbal instruction but also gestures and facial expressions. These interactions are considered a dialogue, which underpins and complements the learning by imitation. Going beyond the traditional pedagogical view, in which knowledge is assumed to be ready-made and translatable into words, this paper sheds light on how the instructor and the learner interact and influence each other and how the skill itself emerges afresh in the dialogue. The challenge also lies in rethinking education in the global age from the local and microscopic learning involved in dealing with the individual concrete body.

The aim of this study is to identify the most prolific countries in the field of special education and to discuss the widespread impact of their papers by taking into account the country's h-index. Through a bibliometric analysis, the data were collected in the Web of Science Core Collection category "Education, Special" in the Social Science Citation Index during 2011-2020. The 25 most prolific countries in the field of special education were determined in terms of paper productivity, and it was seen that the leading country was undisputedly the USA (54.42%). Meanwhile, a strong positive correlation was found between the h-index and the number of papers published by the countries (r=0.864). On the other hand, when the ranking in terms of the number of papers was reconfigured by the h-index, it was relatively changed. The possible reasons for this change for the countries with the most changing rankings were discussed by considering some definitive criteria such as the journal quartiles, the percentage of international and domestic, and the percentage of open access papers. This study reports a positive correlation between the quality and quantity in the field of special education for the publications of countries. It has been shown that where the positive correlation deviates, then especially, the journal quartiles, the percentage of international collaboration and the percentage of open access papers have a significant effect. The bibliometric findings may be useful to enrich the discussion about the widespread impact of papers and debate whether the use of h-index is acceptable for cross-national comparisons.

This study demonstrates the ways in which discourses in a state-sponsored volunteer program incited transformations of individual subjectivities, focusing on a group of Japanese language teacher volunteers training in Japan to become teachers of Japanese as a heritage language for the country's diaspora (Nikkei) population in South America. As teachers of heritage Japanese at Japanese language schools in these Nikkei communities, their work was central to Japan's diaspora strategies, which reframe the Nikkei population as Japan's "diplomatic assets" connected to Japan through their Nikkei identity. Focusing on these language teachers as important actors in Japan's diaspora strategies, this study illustrates how their encounter with the institutional discourses resulted in the transformations of their subjectivities. Such transformations occurred during the volunteer training sessions hosted by Japan's international cooperation agency to conceptualize their roles as teachers of Japanese as someone's heritage language. By illustrating the ways in which these volunteer individuals' transformations fit within state diaspora strategies, this article underscores the role of state actors in the process of subjectification, which has tended to be overlooked in previous studies of governmentality.

This paper examines the differences correlation between instructor- and peer-based participation scores and oral proficiency in an EFL course focusing on oral communication. It finds that there is very little correlation between instructor-based and peer-based participation scores (r = 0.187, p = 0.053) and that the former is more associated with improvement in fluency (r = 0.266, p = 0.005), but that the latter is strongly associated with pre-class levels of fluency measures such as trimmed speech rate (r = 0.364, p < 0.001). However, neither measure of participation was particularly correlated with post-class levels of fluency. Therefore, some caution is required by instructors when using in-class participation scores. While it is important to encourage students to improve by participating in classes, the methods of assigning participation scores examined in this paper may not be appropriate as a part of the composite final grade in the class as they do not correlate well to final skill level.

This paper details methods teachers can utilize in a Virtual Exchange (VE) project to maximize development of intercultural communication and linguistic competence. The International Virtual Exchange Project (IVEProject) was born out of a desire to connect students in monocultural classrooms to multiple cultures. The project was started in Japan, a highly monocultural environment, where opportunities to use English as a foreign language (EFL) are highly limited. The project now spans across multiple countries and offers a real setting for students to connect across continents using EFL. It is free for teachers to join with their students and teachers all around the world may participate twice a year by contacting the authors. Research on previous exchanges showed participation in the IVEProject enhances students' knowledge of their own culture and other cultures, increases interactional confidence, and improves intercultural sensitivity -- essential for the development of intercultural competence (Hagley, 2020). Research also suggests teacher involvement is essential to the success of VE (Kelsen and Flowers, 2017). The IVEProject encourages teacher as well as student participation and in this paper three areas teachers may focus upon to aid students in the project are discussed: preparation activities, integration of tasks into class activities and reflection activities. It is hoped that these suggested activities will provide a framework which teachers interested in VE, and in particular the IVEProject, may use to maximize the benefits of engaging EFL students in VE.

Over the years attempts have been made to standardize sign languages. This form of language planning has been tackled by a variety of agents, most notably teachers of Deaf students, social workers, government agencies, and occasionally groups of Deaf people themselves. Their efforts have most often involved the development of sign language books with lists of signs in alphabetical order (as distinct from sign language principles) and more recently as CDROMs, DVDs, or websites. With regard to the all-important question about language standardization, Karin Hoyer asks, "Who is behind the effort?" and goes on to say that "standardization actions (often with the aim of reducing lexical variation) have frequently been undertaken with the strong support of the hearing-run education system--from outside, often without any support from the language users themselves" (2012, 32). Today, sign language planning is still carried out largely by hearing professionals; thus, that standardization still needs to be examined in relation to "language ownership" (Eichmann 2009).

This two-phase mixed methodology study, relevant to STEM educational stakeholders and researchers in emergency remote teaching (ERT) and ICT for education, explored college students' and graduates' attitudes and usage patterns of educational ICT in the U.S. and Japan and identified affordances of the technology for both text and audio-based activities of various lengths. The research was divided into two phases, with the first a qualitative analysis utilizing a questionnaire and coding, which informed the second phase, a quantitative analysis of device and activity associations utilizing k-means analysis. The findings suggest that these participants have a sophisticated understanding of their personal digital ecosystems and practice a form of dynamic "affordance switching" that matches devices to activities. This is reassuring when considering the need for a sudden move to off-site teaching necessitated by an ERT. The k-means analysis identified three main devices out of six commonly used devices and associated those three with specific task characteristics. The Laptop PC was the most universally associated device, followed by the smartphone and traditional paper-based nondigital devices. These findings can inform administrators seeking to supply devices to students during ERT on a limited budget.

This paper draws attention to the current and possible effects of COVID-19 on the mobility trajectories of mainland Chinese students studying in Asia. By drawing on 35 biographical interviews, this paper focuses on their decision to study in Asian countries and regions. Particularly, it calls for more attention to Asia in global student mobilities and discusses whether COVID-19 has changed the position of Asia in the global landscape of student mobility. Results show that even if COVID-19 provides an opportunity for Asian universities to embrace more international students, Asia still lacks the capability to attract great numbers of them. Finally, the study argues that college students' choice of mobility destinations is shaped by their perception of the central-periphery structure of higher education, which is hard to be shaken by the pandemic.

Recent studies elaborating on the L2 learning experience component of the L2 Motivational Self System (Dörnyei, 2005, 2009), especially through a narrative identity perspective, mark a new direction in L2 motivation research. This paper extends this work by exploring the connection between the L2 learning experience and ideal L2 self components. Emerging from different theoretical origins, these components have proved difficult to reconcile. Especially in an EFL environment such as Japan, where learners may lack well-defined goals for their English learning beyond university entrance, investigations into the role of L2 learning experience in developing ideal L2 selves can offer practical value to both learners and teachers alike. Adopting an L2 narrative identity perspective (Dörnyei & Ryan, 2015), this study portrays the case of a Japanese pre-service elementary school teacher. Qualitative data was collected from her participation in an undergraduate English-through-drama course. Dramaturgical coding analysis revealed two interconnected L2 narrative dynamics related to her overarching ideal L2 self: one professional and one personal. Evidence is discussed for the tracing of these ideal L2 self-conceptualizations back to key episodes in her L2 learning experience. An important functional interrelation is suggested between L2 learning experience and the development of ideal L2 self-guides.

Background: On August 5th, 2006, the third meeting of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities (IASSID) Special Interest Research Group (SIRG) on Parents and Parenting with Intellectual Disabilities was convened in Maastricht, The Netherlands, coinciding with the 2nd International Congress of IASSID-Europe. The SIRG Parents and Parenting with Intellectual Disabilities membership includes scholars from a number of countries including the United States, Canada, England, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. These scholars come from a range of academic and professional disciplines, including sociology, psychology, education, nursing, social work and occupational therapy. Method: This position paper developed by the Parenting SIRG brings into sharp relief the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted by the General Assembly in December 2006. The convention affirms the right of persons with disabilities to marry and found a family (Article 23, (1)(a)). Further, states parties are bound to "take effective action and appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities in all matters relating to marriage, family, parenthood and relationships..." (Article 23 (1)), and "...render appropriate assistance to persons with disabilities in the performance of their child-rearing responsibilities" (Article 23 (2)). Results: This position paper synthesizes messages from research about the challenges that parents labelled with intellectual disability face, and how they can be assisted in their parenting role.