One of the factors contributing to difficulties in rule-based problem-solving is learners' use of incorrect rules. Prior research has suggested that the effectiveness of a strategy for correcting such mistakes depends on the strength of the incorrect rules. However, previous studies have identified incorrect rules based only on overall response trends, without considering cases in which individual learners do not clearly exhibit incorrect rules. The present study examined how the effectiveness of a confrontational strategy for correcting incorrect rules might vary, depending on prior response patterns. University students (N=46) participated in a teaching experiment. The data were analyzed quantitatively. Additionally, qualitative analysis, including interviews with four participants, was conducted in order to enhance the interpretation of the quantitative findings. The quantitative results suggested that learners who exhibited consistently incorrect pretest responses successfully applied the correct rule in the posttest, whereas those who had demonstrated individual judgment in the pretest reported facing difficulties in problem-solving. Furthermore, qualitative analysis suggested that the former group developed more confidence in the rules, whereas the latter focused on individual cases, which made it difficult for them to construct knowledge-linking examples and rules.

  The present study examined reciprocal relations between school-based extracurricular activities and learning motivation, focusing on motivation based on self-determination theory. The participants were 565 Japanese junior high school students who participated in extracurricular activities. The results of a random intercept cross-lagged panel model indicated that autonomous motivation for school-based extracurricular activities positively predicted autonomous motivation for learning. The results also suggested that autonomous motivation for learning positively predicted autonomous motivation for school-based extracurricular activities. These results suggest that autonomous motivation for extracurricular activities (learning) may lead to autonomous motivation for learning (extracurricular activities). In addition, the results indicated that autonomous motivation for learning negatively predicted controlled motivation for school-based extracurricular activities, and that controlled motivation for learning positively predicted controlled motivation for school-based extracurricular activities. These findings demonstrate the significance of school-based extracurricular activities in junior high school, and also suggest that motivation in one context may transfer to motivation in other contexts.

  The present study examined whether presenting fictitious audience videos during an explanation facilitates learning through non-interactive teaching. Japanese undergraduate students (52 women, 10 men) read a text about concepts pertaining to level of measurement in statistics, prepared an explanation of those concepts, and completed a pre-test. The Explain-to-Video group (n=32) then explained the concepts to a pre-recorded video of two students nodding; the Explain-to-Gazing-Point group (n=30) explained the concepts while gazing at a screen with small crosses in the same positions on the screen as the two pre-recorded students' faces were for the Explain-to-Video group. The participants in the Explain-to-Video group were informed that the video had been pre-recorded. Both groups completed the post-test. The results of an analysis of covariance with pre-test as covariate and post-test as dependent variable suggested that the Explain-to-Video group outperformed the Explain-to-Gazing-Point group in terms of learning outcomes. Moreover, the Explain-to-Video group used more causal connectives, such as "so" and "therefore", in their explanation than the Explain-to-Gazing-Point group did, suggesting that the participants in the former group were more engaged in audience adjustment than those in the latter group. These results suggest that presenting a fictitious audience video during an explanation may have enhanced the participants' sense of social presence, facilitating their understanding of the concepts that they had been taught.

  The present study describes the implementation of a School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) Tier 1 intervention over a two-year period in a public junior high school. The report focuses on changes in the occurrence of problem behavior and the students' scores on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The participants were all of the students in the 7th grade (n=502) and 8th grade (n=514) and all of the 7th- and 8th-grade teachers (N=42). The analyses used the data from those students who were enrolled throughout the two-year period. The dependent variables were the occurrences of problem behavior and the students' Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scores. During the initial ("baseline") phase, the teachers were told that there was an increasing trend in the occurrence of problem behavior and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scores. The installation phase included professional development for the teachers and the creation of a school-wide behavioral matrix. In the implementation phase, a formal School-Wide Positive Behavior Support leadership team was established, and a School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Tier 1 intervention was conducted. The results indicated that the number of occurrences of problem behavior decreased, and the scores on all the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire subscales improved except for Emotional Symptoms. The discussion suggests that future research should adopt more rigorous research designs and examine effects of integrating School-Wide Positive Behavior Support with supportive mental health programs.