Reflexivity in Qualitative Research Papers Written in English on ELT in Japan

抄録

Reflexivity is an essential aspect of qualitative research, encompassing critical self-reflection on author/researchers’ own subjectivities and contexts and their impact on research processes and outcomes. In published articles, representing reflexivity can help readers understand this impact and evaluate the transparency and trustworthiness of the research. This study investigated representations of reflexivity in qualitative ELT research publications in the Japanese context, written in English. The aim was to examine and compare how publications in international journals, local teaching community journals, conference proceedings, and university in-house bulletins of research disclosed reflexivity according to personal, interpersonal, methodological, and contextual dimensions. Two hundred and fifty qualitative articles from 2012 and 2022 were selected, reviewed, and analysed in a content analysis. Findings indicated variation in reflexivity disclosures, with some authors providing clear examples of reflexivity while others offered cursory representations or none at all. The study emphasises the importance of reflexivity disclosures in qualitative research publications in the Japanese ELT context.