Bjorn Fuisting
University of Exeter, Graduate School of Education, Graduate Student
- I am an English teacher and doctoral student.edit
In this exploratory study, the authors aim to uncover the student experiences of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) involving livestream and on-demand lessons for English classes in one faculty of a large private Japanese university during... more
In this exploratory study, the authors aim to uncover the student experiences of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) involving livestream and on-demand lessons for English classes in one faculty of a large private Japanese university during the Covid-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 1178 responses on a mid-semester online survey and follow-up interviews. First- through fourth-year students rated teaching methods and a variety of online tools on their interest level, simplicity of use, and usefulness. The findings from the quantitative and qualitative data revealed that students tended to favour a mixture of on-demand lessons and livestream lessons. Students reported positive feelings about autonomous time-management, and not having to commute to university. However, problems included technical issues, the large array of unfamiliar platforms and delivery methods, a comparatively high workload, and social isolation, particularly among first-year students. Overall, the data suggests c...
Research Interests: Online Instruction, Online Learning, Learning Management Systems, ERT, Student Satisfaction, and 13 moreComputer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), English as a Foreign Language (EFL), TESL/TEFL, How to Use Skype as a Learning Tool, Educational Videos, Semi structured interviews, Google Forms, Indirect Spaced Repetition Software (ISRS), Flipgrid, Quizlet, Emergency Remote Teaching, Education and Covid-19, and Emergency Remote teaching (ERT)
The writers of this article devised a post-reading role-playing activity that requires students to imagine that they are a character from a book attending a convention with other characters. The first task is for the ELLs to create an... more
The writers of this article devised a post-reading role-playing activity that requires students to imagine that they are a character from a book attending a convention with other characters. The first task is for the ELLs to create an interesting profile for their character. Afterwards, the students use this information when they ask and answer questions during a 'speed mingle' event. Each discussion lasts exactly four minutes. At the conclusion of the 'speed mingle' session, the learners must select a suitable character to co-star with them in a forthcoming novel and make a brief report to their classmates.
This mixed-method study investigates 41 instructors' attitudes and experiences regarding peer review in English as a foreign language (EFL) writing at a Japanese university. Peer review is a strategy many writing teachers try to... more
This mixed-method study investigates 41 instructors' attitudes and experiences regarding peer review in English as a foreign language (EFL) writing at a Japanese university. Peer review is a strategy many writing teachers try to administer, believing students benefit from the process of becoming involved in their own and other students' learning. For this research, 26 foreign and 15 Japanese English instructors completed a survey designed to discover teachers' views towards peer review activities and their classroom experiences with them. Quantitative and qualitative results showed that instructors were generally positive about using peer review, found it compatible with their teaching styles, and thought it improved writing skills, but also saw difficulties in its effective implementation. Results further showed that foreign instructors use peer review more. Curricular implications are that both Japanese and foreign English instructors seemingly want to use peer review ...
Research Interests:
Starting or revamping an Extensive Reading (ER) program can be a daunting task. There are several factors to consider, including reading materials, objectives, grades, and the role of the teacher among others. Richard Day and Julian... more
Starting or revamping an Extensive Reading (ER) program can be a daunting task. There are several factors to consider, including reading materials, objectives, grades, and the role of the teacher among others. Richard Day and Julian Bamford (2002) have outlined ten fundamental principles of ER but how can they be used to implement an ER program from the ground up? This article discusses these ten principles of ER and suggests how they can be practically applied when planning an ER program, as well as provides tips for avoiding pitfalls encountered when planning/implementing an ER course.
Research Interests:
Speed Reading has been demonstrated to be an important element in an L2 Reading course for improving reading fluency. However research has not been published on how many sessions of Speed Reading should be done in each class. Is one Speed... more
Speed Reading has been demonstrated to be an important element in an L2 Reading course for improving reading fluency. However research has not been published on how many sessions of Speed Reading should be done in each class. Is one Speed Reading session enough, or do two per class produce dramatically better gains in reading speed? Does any differential gain remain after controlling for the quantity of Speed Reading text? Examining reading speed gains from two equivalent class samples, the first which practiced speed reading once per class and the other twice, this study shows: (1) Both courses improved their reading speed; (2) The course which practiced speed reading twice a class improved more than six times as much as the course which practiced only once per class; (3) When controlling for quantity of readings, the results also showed significantly greater reading speed improvement for the students in the course where speed reading was practiced twice per class, although results...
Research Interests:
Working conditions are rapidly changing within the educational sector in Japan. However, scarcely any research has been conducted on teacher job satisfaction among higher education EFL teachers in Japan, and none on how the implementation... more
Working conditions are rapidly changing within the educational sector in Japan. However, scarcely any research has been conducted on teacher job satisfaction among higher education EFL teachers in Japan, and none on how the implementation of the new employment rules affects job satisfaction among teachers on limited-term contracts. This paper outlines the recent changes in employment regulations and their impact on limited-term contracts and reports the findings from an investigation into teacher job satisfaction of university EFL teachers on limited-term contacts. The study looks at factors related to teacher job satisfaction and teacher job dissatisfaction, desired changes to increase job satisfaction and decrease job dissatisfaction, as well as what the future job prospects for limited-term contracted EFL teachers are.
Research Interests:
Peer review has become a common activity in second language writing classrooms in recent decades. However, the debate regarding its effectiveness is still ongoing. This paper is part of a collective case study into peer review usage at a... more
Peer review has become a common activity in second language writing classrooms in recent decades. However, the debate regarding its effectiveness is still ongoing. This paper is part of a collective case study into peer review usage at a large private university in Western Japan, and aims to explore some of the issues related to the use of peer review in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing classes. The paper investigates, through a series of interviews, what concerns teachers have about peer review that the university needs to take into account when training teachers and designing curriculum. The data from the study revealed that participants used both common methods to implement peer review as well as their own unique techniques. Several reoccurring successes, difficulties, and concerns are highlighted, as well as five underlying teacher beliefs.
Research Interests:
In this exploratory study, the authors aim to uncover the student experiences of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) involving livestream and on-demand lessons for English classes in one faculty of a large private Japanese university during... more
In this exploratory study, the authors aim to uncover the student experiences of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) involving livestream and on-demand lessons for English classes in one faculty of a large private Japanese university during the Covid-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 1178 responses on a mid-semester online survey and follow-up interviews. First- through fourth-year students rated teaching methods and a variety of online tools on their interest level, simplicity of use, and usefulness. The findings from the quantitative and qualitative data revealed that students tended to favour a mixture of on-demand lessons and livestream lessons. Students reported positive feelings about autonomous time-management, and not having to commute to university. However, problems included technical issues, the large array of unfamiliar platforms and delivery methods, a comparatively high workload, and social isolation, particularly among first-year students. Overall, the data suggests c...
Research Interests: Online Learning, Learning Management Systems, Student Satisfaction, Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), English as a Foreign Language (EFL), and 9 moreHow to Use Skype as a Learning Tool, Educational Videos, Semi structured interviews, Google Forms, Indirect Spaced Repetition Software (ISRS), Flipgrid, Quizlet, Emergency Remote Teaching, and Education and Covid-19
Web 2.0 software can be used to create and store animated movies, multimedia slide shows, and comic strips online. A teacher planning to do web 2.0 projects in the computer classroom has many decisions to make, and much to be aware of... more
Web 2.0 software can be used to create and store animated movies, multimedia slide shows, and comic strips online. A teacher planning to do web 2.0 projects in the computer classroom has many decisions to make, and much to be aware of when planning lessons. A description of how we used VoiceThread, Pixton and Xtranormal will be covered in this report. This software will be described and discussed in terms of teacher and student perceived advantages and disadvantages. Detailed lesson plans and resources are also presented.
In this exploratory study, the authors aim to uncover the student experiences of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) involving livestream and on-demand lessons for English classes in one faculty of a large private Japanese university during... more
In this exploratory study, the authors aim to uncover the student experiences of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) involving livestream and on-demand lessons for English classes in one faculty of a large private Japanese university during the Covid-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 1178 responses on a mid-semester online survey and follow-up interviews. First- through fourth-year students rated teaching methods and a variety of online tools on their interest level, simplicity of use, and usefulness. The findings from the quantitative and qualitative data revealed that students tended to
favour a mixture of on-demand lessons and livestream lessons. Students reported positive feelings about autonomous time-management, and not having to commute to university. However, problems included technical issues, the large array of unfamiliar platforms and delivery methods, a comparatively high workload, and social isolation, particularly among first-year students. Overall, the data suggests coordinated ERT programmes ought to be streamlined and economical with the use of platforms.
本研究の目的は、コロナ禍における日本の私立大学での英語授業のライブストリームやオンデマンド授業を含む緊急遠隔教授法(ERT)の学生体験を明らか にすることである。1年次、2年次、3年次履修生と選択科目履修生を対象に学 期中にオンライン調査を実施し、1178人から回答を得た。回答者は、教員の指 導方法とオンラインツールについて、面白さ、有用性、使いやすさの視点から 評価した。その結果、ライブストリーム授業とオンデマンド授業の混合や、学 生自身での時間管理、通学の回避を好む傾向があることが明らかになった。一 方で、多くの受講生がコンピューターの操作技術の問題を抱えており、慣れな いプラットフォームや課題配信方法、課題量や、孤立感といった問題が(特に 1回生について)存在することが分かった。全体として、ERT活用に当たっては 複数のプラットフォームの多用を避け、簡素化すべきであることが示唆され た。
favour a mixture of on-demand lessons and livestream lessons. Students reported positive feelings about autonomous time-management, and not having to commute to university. However, problems included technical issues, the large array of unfamiliar platforms and delivery methods, a comparatively high workload, and social isolation, particularly among first-year students. Overall, the data suggests coordinated ERT programmes ought to be streamlined and economical with the use of platforms.
本研究の目的は、コロナ禍における日本の私立大学での英語授業のライブストリームやオンデマンド授業を含む緊急遠隔教授法(ERT)の学生体験を明らか にすることである。1年次、2年次、3年次履修生と選択科目履修生を対象に学 期中にオンライン調査を実施し、1178人から回答を得た。回答者は、教員の指 導方法とオンラインツールについて、面白さ、有用性、使いやすさの視点から 評価した。その結果、ライブストリーム授業とオンデマンド授業の混合や、学 生自身での時間管理、通学の回避を好む傾向があることが明らかになった。一 方で、多くの受講生がコンピューターの操作技術の問題を抱えており、慣れな いプラットフォームや課題配信方法、課題量や、孤立感といった問題が(特に 1回生について)存在することが分かった。全体として、ERT活用に当たっては 複数のプラットフォームの多用を避け、簡素化すべきであることが示唆され た。
Research Interests: Online Learning, Learning Management Systems, Student Satisfaction, Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), English as a Foreign Language (EFL), and 9 moreSemi-Structured Interviews, How to Use Skype as a Learning Tool, Educational Videos, Google Forms, Indirect Spaced Repetition Software (ISRS), Flipgrid, Quizlet, Emergency Remote Teaching, and Education and Covid-19
Working conditions are rapidly changing within the educational sector in Japan. However, scarcely any research has been conducted on teacher job satisfaction among higher education EFL teachers in Japan, and none on how the implementation... more
Working conditions are rapidly changing within the educational sector in Japan. However, scarcely any research has been conducted on teacher job satisfaction among higher education EFL teachers in Japan, and none on how the implementation of the new employment rules affects job satisfaction among teachers on limited-term contracts. This paper outlines the recent changes in employment regulations and their impact on limited-term contracts and reports the findings from an investigation into teacher job satisfaction of university EFL teachers on limited-term contacts. The study looks at factors related to teacher job satisfaction and teacher job dissatisfaction, desired changes to increase job satisfaction and decrease job dissatisfaction, as well as what the future job prospects for limited-term contracted EFL teachers are.
Research Interests:
Teachers' professional identity is an area of increased interest in educational research. However, limited research has been conducted on the professional identity among higher education teachers in Japan, and none on how the... more
Teachers' professional identity is an area of increased interest in educational research. However, limited research has been conducted on the professional identity among higher education teachers in Japan, and none on how the implementation of the new employment rules affects professional identity among teachers on limited-term contracts. This paper details the recent changes in employment rules and their impact on limited-term contracts and reports the findings from an investigation into professional identity of EFL teachers on limited-term contacts. This study has four major findings: there are conflicts between teachers’ own definition of a good teacher and their role as a contracted teacher; there is a disconnect between how valued teachers feel and how committed they are to the teaching profession; there are differences between how Japanese teachers and non-Japanese teachers perceive that their professional identity has changed since becoming full-time contracted teachers, and limited-term teachers desire more job security.
Research Interests:
Peer review has become a common activity in second language writing classrooms in recent decades. However, the debate regarding its effectiveness is still ongoing. This paper is part of a collective case study into peer review usage at a... more
Peer review has become a common activity in second language writing classrooms in recent decades. However, the debate regarding its effectiveness is still ongoing. This paper is part of a collective case study into peer review usage at a large private university in Western Japan, and aims to explore some of the issues related to the use of peer review in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing classes. The paper investigates, through a series of interviews, what concerns teachers have about peer review that the university needs to take into account when training teachers and designing curriculum. The data from the study revealed that participants used both common methods to implement peer review as well as their own unique techniques. Several reoccurring successes, difficulties, and concerns are highlighted, as well as five underlying teacher beliefs.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This mixed-method study investigates 41 instructors’ attitudes and experiences regarding peer review in English as a foreign language (EFL) writing at a Japanese university. Peer review is a strategy many writing teachers try to... more
This mixed-method study investigates 41 instructors’ attitudes and experiences regarding peer review in English as a foreign language (EFL) writing at a Japanese university. Peer review is a strategy many writing teachers try to administer, believing students benefit from the process of becoming involved in their own and other students’ learning. For this research, 26 foreign and 15 Japanese English instructors completed a survey designed to discover teachers’ views towards peer review activities and their classroom experiences with them. Quantitative and qualitative results showed that instructors were generally positive about using peer review, found it compatible with their teaching styles, and thought it improved writing skills, but also saw difficulties in its effective implementation. Results further showed that foreign instructors use peer review more. Curricular implications are that both Japanese and foreign English instructors seemingly want to use peer review and see benefits, especially in its collaborative potential, but also want effective training programs for teachers and students.
Research Interests:
Starting or revamping an Extensive Reading (ER) program can be a daunting task. There are several factors to consider, including reading materials, objectives, grades, and the role of the teacher among others. Richard Day and Julian... more
Starting or revamping an Extensive Reading (ER) program can be a daunting task. There are several factors to consider, including reading materials, objectives, grades, and the role of the teacher among others. Richard Day and Julian Bamford (2002) have outlined ten fundamental principles of ER but how can they be used to implement an ER program from the ground up? This article discusses these ten principles of ER and suggests how they can be practically applied when planning an ER program, as well as provides tips for avoiding pitfalls encountered when planning/implementing an ER course.