ERIC Number: EJ1459977
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1513-5934
EISSN: EISSN-2651-1479
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Investigating Japanese Students' Basic Psychological Needs (BPNs) Satisfaction and Frustration in Secondary School English Classes
Kodai Kamino; Daniel Hooper
rEFLections, v31 n3 p1065-1089 2024
Secondary English education in Japan, despite widespread policy reform, has been identified as a context in which problems with learner motivation are commonplace and persistent. Numerous quantitative studies have highlighted student dissatisfaction with a range of pedagogical factors including a disproportionate focus on rote memorization for exam preparation and a lack of student-centered activities. The aim of this study is to investigate from a qualitative approach the degree to which secondary school students' basic psychological needs (BPNs) of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are being satisfied or frustrated within their junior high and high school English classes. Data was collected from semi-structured interviews with five university students who provided retrospective accounts of their secondary education and was subsequently deductively coded based on BPN satisfaction and frustration. Participants illustrated the key role of teacher-student and student-student interaction in both directly and indirectly facilitating satisfaction of each BPN and highlighted how more balance between exam-focused and communicative lesson content may positively contribute to student engagement and motivation. The findings of this study generally support the notion that promoting greater relatedness through positive group dynamics among both teachers and students can subsequently provide affordances for enhancing autonomy and competence satisfaction.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Psychological Needs, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Personal Autonomy, Competence, Junior High School Students, High School Students, Student Experience, Satisfaction, Teacher Student Relationship, Peer Relationship, College Freshmen, Reflection
King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi School of Liberal Arts. 126 Pracha Uthit Road, Bang Mod, Thung Khru, Bangkok, Thailand 10140. Tel: +66-2470-8756; Fax: +66-2428-3375; Web site: https://so05.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/reflections/index
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Secondary Education; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; High Schools; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Japan
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A