This essay explores the integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into pre-service teacher education amidst contemporary debates on technology in education. It highlights the cautious stance taken by educational authorities, such as the Alberta Teachers' Association, which advises against involving students directly with AI tools.…

This study statistically examines students who conduct extensive reading in the first and second semesters by focusing on the reading volume of word counts to address the following research questions: 1) Is there a difference in word counts between students who conduct extensive reading in the first semester and those who continue it in the second…

Role models and motivators can influence young people in a general sense and have a significant effect on their values and beliefs. As part of a larger project, we investigated the presence of L2 (second language) role models and motivators among 12 Japanese high school students (aged between 15 and 18), who took part in one-to-one interviews with…

Moving from one educational setting to another is often accompanied by various psychological and emotional stressors. In the case of English education in Japan this is exacerbated further by an enduring ideological division in the field between English for test-taking and the use of English as a communicative tool. In order to explore potential…

Learning assistance is an essential part of higher education. Tutors, the core of the assistance staff, need to have learning assistance skills. If the potential for these skills can be identified when selecting tutors, the training method will be more efficient. Also, learning assistance skills are thought to be related to learning skills.…

This paper provides findings on a study which explored effective teacher motivation management strategies current university non-native EFL teachers in Japan utilize in their course of career. Teachers who have higher motivation can devote their lives more to give a lot to the learners and be productive on the education. Therefore, teacher…

The present pilot study investigated the impact of video hero modelling (VHM) on the daily living skills of an elementary-aged student with autism spectrum disorder. The VHM, in which a character much admired by the student exhibited a correct response, was shown to the participant immediately before the situation where he needed to exhibit the…

This study explored Japanese day nursery and kindergarten teachers' beliefs and practices regarding developmentally appropriate practices. Data were collected using in-depth interviews. Teacher interviews provided insights into the merger of the childcare and education systems of Japan. Six themes emerged from the analysis of the day nursery and…

This study examined the relationship between learners' motivation to learn a second language (L2) and persistence in their learning using self-instructional radio (SIR) materials with a sample of Japanese high school students learning English. L2 self-instruction remains under-researched, in spite of the importance of out-of-class learning…

The global community, from UNESCO to NGOs, is committed to promoting the status of women in science, engineering and technology, despite long-held prejudices and the lack of role models. Previously, when equality was not firmly established as a key issue on international or national agendas, women's colleges played a great role in mentoring female…

Intergenerational programs and practices refer to a wide range of initiatives which aim to bring people of different generations together to interact, educate, support, and provide care for one another. Insofar as there is such rapid growth in intergenerational program activity taking place at the national and international levels, it is pertinent…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce the Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on education for sustainable development (ESD) Hyogo-Kobe, and the contribution of Kobe University as a model case. An attempt to develop and implement a new ESD programme in higher education is also reported. Design/methodology/approach: A brief description…

A study investigated the portrayal of mothers and fathers in Japanese and non-Japanese children's literature and how stereotypically they are depicted as role models. Japanese public libraries contain many translated foreign books, mostly Western in origin. For this study's purposes, 25 Japanese books, 25 translated books from English-speaking…

Investigated the effect of near peer role models (NPRMs). Examined the impact of a video with four exemplary, slightly older Japanese NPRMs in a Japanese English department--who were expressing beliefs and attitudes thought to facilitate second language acquisition--on non-English majors in obligatory English courses. Results show students'…

In an effort to explain the spatial patterning of violence, we expanded Sutherland's (1947) concept of differential social organization to include the level of deviance exhibited by neighboring areas. To test the value of this extension, the geographic clustering of Japanese suicide and homicide rates is assessed using 1985 and 1995 data for…