It was investigated why Southeast Asian recipients of engineering or related fields studied at Japanese private universities. Scholarships were the most popular reason. The reasons that they liked Japan and that the research or education level at Japanese universities was high were less popular. About a half of questionnaire respondents had been…

Considerable research has shown that receiving effort-focused praise affects motivation positively, while ability-focused praise affects motivation negatively. However, these studies have investigated only the effects on the one receiving praise (the praisee). Therefore, we examined the effects of praise on the one offering praise (the praiser),…

The broad relationship between students' self-efficacy and interest has been highlighted for decades. This, along with the inherently developmental nature of learning, calls for a more thorough examination of the way fluctuations in students' self-efficacy influence their interest in learning within a single course over an academic year and…

This study investigates how self-efficacy and motivation predict students' science literacy and career expectations above and beyond their socioeconomic status. A structural equation model built on self-determination theory and self-efficacy was examined using PISA 2015 data from Finland and Japan. The study sample is 5882 and 6647 15-year-old…

With rapid globalization, it is an urgent task for universities in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context to provide practical English education. Particularly, one that enables students to participate in the global society as well as the global business market. The challenge for these universities is to achieve this goal with limited class…

Increased reliance on student loans to finance higher education (HE) raises concerns about unequal access and repayment burdens. However, who borrows and what motivates students and parents to borrow remain unclear. A longitudinal survey tracked parents and students from high school into their early career to explore the effects of socioeconomic…

This study examined the development of the evaluation of praise that differs in congruence between what the praiser is praising (i.e. effort or ability) and what led the recipient to succeed. Children aged 7 and 8 years (second graders) and 10 and 11 years (fifth graders), as well as adults, made emotional and motivational evaluations about…

The reasons why foreign graduate students studied or study at Japanese research-intensive universities were investigated, based on a questionnaire survey and interviews. According to the questionnaire survey, the main three reasons were that the research or education level of Japanese universities was high, that they liked Japan, and that they got…

Self-construal refers to the process by which individuals define the self in relation to others. It underpins cognition, motivation, and social behavior. While the importance of the self is well acknowledged in the field of second language (L2) learning motivation, how self-construal is associated with L2 learning motivation in project-based…

This study examined the relationships between achievement goals, motivation instability, and learning persistence in asynchronous distance classes by focusing on mastery goals and performance-avoidance goals. A longitudinal online survey was conducted among university students in Japan at two time points. The first survey had 171 respondents. Out…

English education in Japan has traditionally focused on grammar over communication, and the country has struggled to compete internationally in terms of English proficiency scores. As the country works toward the internationalization of higher education, improving English education is an important issue. One potential solution is the use of topics…

Formative assessment has been long emphasised as a powerful means for enhancing science learning. However, there is still a lack of research to investigate the impacts of formative assessment on both students' motivational beliefs and behaviours in science learning. This study examined such impacts using data from six Western and six East Asian…

The importance of human resources in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is increasingly recognized in Japan and other countries worldwide. This study considers the STEM human resources community as a cultural sphere and examines the factors that influence STEM competency elements in a sample of Japanese university students as…

The study reported in this article investigated the use of quest-based learning (QBL) in a gamified English as a foreign language (EFL) course at a Japanese university. A mixed methods research design was utilised to explore the effect purposely designed quests can have on EFL students' foreign language (FL) motivation. The study was conducted…

This paper presents a midterm review of a 4-year factor analysis project aimed at validating an outcome-based assessment of study-abroad programs attended by Japanese students. This paper outlines how the results from the initial two years captured changes in perceptions and reasons for studying abroad. It found that students have become…