Challenges Associated with the Implementation of Active Learning: A Small-Scale Study of Japanese University EFL Teachers

Abstract

Active learning (AL) – recently described as 'independent, dialogical, and deep learning' – has been widely adopted by Japanese universities. Now, despite reservations and anxieties expressed by high school EFL teachers (Nakai, 2016), the upcoming educational reform will also require the implementation of AL in all Japanese high schools. This small-scale study, therefore, aims to investigate specific challenges and/or difficulties encountered by Japanese university EFL teachers in implementing AL and provide practical suggestions for high school EFL teachers to help address their specific concerns with AL. A questionnaire consisting of a four-point Likert scale and open-ended questions was used and a total of 20 Japanese university EFL teachers took part in this study. Results revealed that in implementing AL in English classes, Japanese EFL teachers tend to experience the following difficulties in particular: various language proficiency levels among learners in the same class, learners' low motivation to study through AL, and lack of clear criteria for evaluation. Based on the results, this study attempts to provide several suggestions for high school EFL teachers, including ways to foster collaborative learning.



Author Information
Maki Ikoma, Ritsumeikan University, Japan

Paper Information
Conference: ACE2018
Stream: Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice & Praxis

This paper is part of the ACE2018 Conference Proceedings (View)
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Posted by James Alexander Gordon