Background: Self-efficacy beliefs have well established theoretical and empirical linkages to persistence and achievement. Budding theoretical and recent empirical research has worked to connect self-efficacy to interest. Building on research in these areas, burgeoning research has begun to examine the relative role of intercept and slope of…

This study explores speaking self-efficacy for university EFL students in Japan. The primary objectives of the study were to analyse the growth of self-efficacy over time, potential differences between male and female students, and the relationship between self-efficacy, casual attribution, and outcome satisfaction. While several studies have…

Study abroad (SA) has recently become an increasingly popular option for language learners who wish to engage in an immersive educational experience while living in a different culture, but not all SA programmes are created equal. Length of time can vary significantly, from a days or weeks up to a year or more spent in the target culture, and this…

Learning strategies are important factors for students' academic success. Motivation and self-efficacy influence the choice and the use of specific learning strategies (Entwistle & Ramsden, 1983). In this study, we want to assess how these three factors and their interaction are determined by the cultural setting (eastern vs. western culture).…

This study aims to measure student cognitive and metacognitive perceptions regarding computer use in university. This study addresses three key questions: (1) how does the model fit the key construct of metacognitive and self-efficacy beliefs; (2) to what degree do independent variables predict dependent factor outcomes; and (3) how can…

Focusing on the teaching of listening strategies to second language (L2) learners, this study sought to revisit Renandya and Farrell's (2011) claims that explicit listening strategy instruction for lower-proficiency learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) is a fruitless endeavor. As such, we implemented a quasi-experimental study to…

This study investigated how students' self-reported individual differences predicted second language (L2) spoken discussion task output, an objective behavioral outcome, in the Japanese university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. Although numerous psychological theories are used as a rationale for task-based language teaching (TBLT),…

Background: While self-regulated learning (SRL) strategy-based writing instruction has been proposed in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms, there is insufficient evidence with Japanese EFL learners and little discussion on incorporating online resources into SRL strategy-based writing instruction, despite the availability of various…

While mainstream psychology has made significant advances into the understanding of personality, applied linguistics research has offered a more muted response (Dörnyei and Ryan 2015) despite Bandura (2001:10) declaring that self-efficacy beliefs represent 'the foundation of human agency'. The study documented within this article therefore…

In this article, we report on a National Science Foundation-funded immersive international summer research program for biology students. Six students, representing Cohort 1 of a three-year program, spent 9 weeks at one of three institutes in Japan, working on related molecular, cellular, and developmental research projects under the mentorship of…

English medium instruction (EMI) is a growing phenomenon in higher education contexts across the globe, and EMI programs are expanding rapidly in Japan as part of their internationalization efforts. This paper explores the relationship between student self-beliefs and their success in an EMI course within a bilingual business program. It analyzed…

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…

Self-efficacy is a well-known individual difference variable within second language acquisition research (SLA), shown to have predictive validity in language learning contexts. Collective-efficacy (CE), a group level construct, has remained relatively untouched by researchers despite its potential importance in formal language learning contexts,…

Conventional folk wisdom insists study abroad is an inherently valuable educational experience for young people. While traditional study abroad programs were typically a semester or a full year in duration, short-term study abroad programs of only a couple weeks are now the most common type of sojourn abroad. Problematically, evidence is mounting…

This study applied a qualitative approach and investigated the processes of motivational change through goal setting in extensive reading (ER). The one-year ER program integrating goal setting was introduced in a Japanese university. Interviews were conducted with four selected participants from among 23 students. The results revealed different…