This paper describes a mixed methods study of Japanese first-year tertiary learners' attitudes to English language learning models. It outlines the results from a survey comprised of a verbal guise test (measuring respondents' attitudes to both linguistic and personality features) and vocabulary elicitation, which was administered to 87…

Exposure to heroes and villains via media may influence individuals' behavioural characteristics, but little is known about its effects on the developmental process. Especially, it is unclear whether preferences for heroes or villains are associated with behavioural characteristics in preschoolers, when exposure to TV rapidly increases. We…

The six-phase model of cognitive apprenticeship (modelling, coaching, scaffolding, articulation, reflection and exploration) has been recognized as a useful and effective instructional method in educational research; however, only a few studies have investigated the structural relationships among the six phases at work. This study aimed to…

This study investigates how Japanese-speaking children learn interactional dependencies in conversations that determine the use of "un," a token typically used as a positive response for yes-no questions, backchannel, and acknowledgement. We hypothesise that children learn to produce un appropriately by recognising different types of…

Systematic instruction and video modeling are evidence-based practices for teaching academic skills to students with intellectual disabilities; however, its efficacy has not been established for teaching graphing skills in a small-group setting. Three elementary school students with hearing and intellectual disabilities were taught to describe…

Purpose: Although cognitive apprenticeship has been widely used in various educational fields, few empirical studies have examined its effectiveness in a workplace context. This study aims to investigate the effects of cognitive apprenticeship on junior doctors' perceived professional growth in hospitals. Design/methodology/approach: A…

This mixed-methods study explores the self-regulation of two Japanese university students in response to the stressful situation of feeling unable to communicate effectively in English with foreigners. Qualitative data from interviews are used to interpret the quantitative results of the two students, who were part of an online intercultural…

This study examined how secondary teachers (junior and senior high school teachers) of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Japan participated in collaborative action research and engaged in their professional development over four years. In particular, little is known as to how EFL teachers challenge their beliefs and implement innovative…

The present study examined the effectiveness of video hero modelling and praising (VHMP), which has been proved as effective in behaviour change for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), in improving the transition-related behaviours of two elementary-aged students with Down Syndrome (DS). Each participant watched a video in which she…

This study investigated the effectiveness of video self-modeling (VSM) for eliminating the public undressing of two elementary-aged students with developmental disabilities during urination. A multiple-probe design across participants revealed that the degree of exposed body parts decreased immediately after introduction of VSM. However, exposure…

This article provides the results of a small exploratory pilot study that tested for the influence of a positive self-review intervention of the successful production of English via a tablet computer on Japanese junior high school students' EFL motives. The Language Learning Orientations Scale-Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, and…

The present study investigated the effectiveness of video hero modeling (VHM) for building four bathroom-related behaviors of an elementary-aged student with autism spectrum disorder. In the VHM intervention, the participant watched a video immediately before going to the bathroom he typically used. In the video, an animated face of a cartoon hero…

This study examined the functions of structured modeling and mother-child play settings upon the development of pretend actions in young Down Syndrome children. Subjects were 30 pairs of Japanese children, with a developmental age range of 12-35 months, and their mothers. The children were individually administered five phases of premodeling,…

Four sources of efficacy (achievement, modeling, verbal encouragement, and emotional response) with regard to high school math, locus of control, and math self-efficacy were assessed for 97 male and 66 female Japanese undergraduates. Men reported significantly higher math self-efficacy. Of the four sources, only verbal persuasion did not make a…