Globally, private universities enrol one in three of all higher education students. In Japan, which has the second largest higher education system in the world in terms of overall expenditure, almost 80% of all university students attend private institutions. According to some estimates up to 40% of these institutions are family businesses in the…

Globally, one in three students are now enrolled in private higher education institutions (PHEIs), with the total reaching almost 70 million enrolments. This pattern is similar across a highly diverse Asia: more than 35% of students are enrolled in the private sector, and around 60% of higher education institutions (usually much smaller than their…

Previous studies have provided insights into classroom etiquette through research focused on observing small student groups, with no significant exploration, through survey research, of classroom etiquette in a large sample. The present study addresses this gap through a questionnaire measuring students' self-perceptions of classroom etiquette. A…

This international comparative study focuses on examining the impacts of Education for Sustainability (EfS) expertise and self-organization, as two aspects of EfS skills and knowledge, on personal and interpersonal outcomes, which is one of the EfS effective in-role performance dimensions. We collected data from 664 academics in Malaysia and…

This research study provides a case study of how the COVID-19 pandemic affected Japanese university students' views and attitudes on international topics and motivations for living and working abroad. During the pandemic, digital information, including social media, played a prominent role in how these students interacted and kept up with the…

While several studies on study abroad have examined the impact of personal factors (e.g., gender, age, and family environment) on the decision to study abroad, a factor analysis has not yet been conducted on the reasons why some students choose not to study abroad. This paper highlights the role of academic study abroad programs in promoting…

Globally, private universities enrol one in three of all higher education students. In Japan, which has the second largest higher education system in the world in terms of overall expenditure, almost 80% of all university students attend private institutions. According to some estimates up to 40% of these institutions are family businesses in the…

Objective: The purpose of the study was to elucidate the current challenges to inclusive education (IE) at the university level in Japan, thereby addressing the gap between policy and the provision of inclusion. Method: This qualitative case study of a private university supporting inclusive policies in Japan included content analysis of data…

A growing body of vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) studies focuses on accumulating empirical evidence on the relationship between frequency of VLS use and vocabulary acquisition by using the frequency-based measures of VLSs. Our study by contrast, examined which VLSs are perceived as important and useful, and how they are employed by Japanese…

The researchers examined the relationship between informal digital gameplay and learner profiles in two Japanese private universities. Seventy-eight participants responded to 59 items on a digital questionnaire that consisted of four sections: 1) Learner Profiles, 2) Digital Game Usage, 3) Open-Responses, and 4) Demographics. The results of the…

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…

The current study examined the extent to which first language (L1) utterance fluency measures can predict second language (L2) fluency and how L2 proficiency moderates the relationship between L1 and L2 fluency. A total of 104 Japanese-speaking learners of English completed different argumentative speech tasks in their L1 and L2. Their speaking…

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the education sector worldwide, prompting a swift transition to technology-driven learning solutions. One notable response to this challenge has been the introduction of online versions of study-abroad and international exchange programs. Considering the limited existing research on how English as…

This study investigates undergraduate student satisfaction at a small private university in Japan, focusing on factors like social environment, instructors, facilities, support, academic grit, and student engagement. Given Japan's demographic challenges and the heightened competition in higher education, understanding these factors is crucial for…

With the growing importance of the United Nations' SDGs, many EFL textbooks addressing the goals have been developed. However, these textbooks generally discuss the applicability of the SDGs in Global South countries, and for university students in Japan, this has resulted in "SDG burnout," as they study the topic but often fail to find…