Although students are often required to write compositions based on prompts provided by educators, there has been little research on how such prompts influence their writing. Furthermore, while understanding the current state of high school students’ writing abilities is crucial for enhancing remedial education and facilitating smoother transitions between high school and university, studies focusing on high school students remain limited. This study investigates the impact of prompts on the opening sentences of reading-based essays written by high school students. The findings reveal that high school students tend to respond directly to prompts and are more likely to recognize rhetorical instructions concerning text structure when they are explicitly stated. On the other hand, when prompts do not specify the scope of opinions to be expressed, students often fail to fully utilize the key points in the source text, resulting in responses that may not align with the intended purpose of the task. These results suggest that writing instruction should incorporate prompts that provide clear guidance on structural elements and support students in connecting their opinions to the source text through a guided reading process.

Since the early 2000s, universities have been increasingly expected to offer students learning opportunities that promote the acquisition of fundamental competencies required for professional and civic life. In response, the adoption of active learning pedagogies that incorporate group-based activities has become widespread across higher education. The objective of these approaches is to cultivate not only knowledge but also critical skills such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving. However, despite these intentions, a number of studies have reported negative outcomes, which highlight persistent challenges in the effective implementation of group learning effectively. One factor that may contribute to these difficulties is student’s psychological resistance or apprehension, particularly at the initial stages of collaborative work. The current study investigates the extent to which instructional efforts to establish a supportive and inclusive learning environment can address these concerns. Specifically, it examines the effects of instructors’ deliberate strategies (e.g., fostering a positive classroom atmosphere, designing introductory activities to ease students into collaboration, and providing timely interventions) on students’ perceptions and attitudes toward group learning. The results indicate decreases in mean scores on a concern measurement scale when instructors proactively engaged in creating the abovementioned environment, which indicates a reduction in students’ initial resistance. Moreover, the results of correspondence analysis revealed that instructors’ early instructional strategies, demeanor, and nature of interventions were significantly associated with this outcome. The findings also underscored that environmental structure alone was insufficient for addressing all student concerns, which indicates the need for multifaceted approaches. This study contributes to an in-depth understanding of the psychological dynamics of group learning and provides practical insights for educators in designing effective active learning environments.

Using both quantitative and qualitative approaches, this study examined the relationship between first-year university students’ characteristics—as defined by their varied high school learning and life experiences—and their tendencies to be anxious about and uncomfortable with academic writing. The research also explores potential support methods for such students. Thus we administered a questionnaire survey on students’ high school learning and life experiences. Analysis of responses identified three core factors with which we classified first-year students into four clusters that included their attitudes toward writing, amount of time per week reading printed texts, and the length and content of texts written in high school. Furthermore, analysis of open-ended responses provided insights into students’ specific types of anxiety and discomfort, which related to lack of prior knowledge, concerns about the act of reading or being read, and unease toward the writing process itself, with the observed variations dependent on students’ individual characteristics. In particular, tendencies of anxiety and discomfort toward writing and reading/being read appeared to be influenced by an “active attitude toward discussions and events.” These findings emphasize the needs to understand first-year students’ diverse characteristics and to employ a multifaceted approach to support, including stepwise interventions, strategies that leverage students’ strengths, and a safe learning environment where students can feel confident about addressing new academic challenges. Such considerations are crucial for developing effective writing support programs and may help foster greater confidence in academic writing among first-year students.

To explore the beliefs of Japanese students regarding language learning, this study investigated how they perceived the cross-linguistic language learning of Japanese and English. The participants were learners with Japanese as their mother tongue, studying at Department A of the Faculty of Integrated Humanities at University A. The data were analyzed using frequently occurring words, collocation networks, and code analysis. Approximately 80% of the student participants recognized the significance of cross-linguistic learning; however, some considered it meaningful, while others did not. Differences in beliefs were found between these groups. The results suggest that introducing cross-linguistic language learning is essential to promote such learning. In the context of existing monolingual learning, particularly English language learning, it is also crucial to help notice commonalities in language, as well as differences in the counterpart language, and to highlight instances of cross-linguistic learning that occur with monolingual learning settings.

This paper examines initiatives in English language education for students majoring in the arts with a particular focus on the pedagogical practices and challenges observed in both required and elective English courses. In the compulsory curriculum, a framework tailored to artistically inclined students is being developed in collaboration with external service providers to establish an effective curriculum and support system. Elective courses are offered in four principal fields—Drama, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts—as well as in other areas, each employing methodologies and course designs suited to their respective disciplines. While many participants exhibited a strong interest in foreign languages and cultures, a considerable number also reported anxiety regarding their English proficiency. Instructors responded by adopting field-specific approaches such as improvisational performance, vocalization and oral reading exercises, enhanced expressive activities, sketchbook use, and TOEIC preparation, with the aim of acclimating students to English use and mitigating language-related apprehension. Although these efforts have yielded measurable outcomes, further improvements are necessary. Further advancements in instructional methods and the assessment of educational effectiveness must consider shared challenges across disciplines, specifically the generally low proficiency in English among students.

This study implemented remote beginner-level programming education via Zoom for prospective international graduate students planning to enroll in Japanese universities. The programming language used was Scratch, and a new instructional tool, the “Scratch Learning Aid,” was developed specifically for this purpose. As part of pre-enrollment education, the objective was to provide foundational programming knowledge, enabling students to apply programming skills to the development of educational materials in graduate school. Small-group remote classes were conducted and tailored to the learners’ needs. We evaluated all student-created programs using Dr. Scratch and analyzed scores from the Computational Thinking Test (CTT). The results showed a general improvement in Dr. Scratch scores as practice exercises progressed. Furthermore, post-test CTT scores were higher across all three categories compared to pre-test scores, indicating improved student performance over the course of the program.