The Influence of Instructional Practices on Learner Engagement

This paper reports on research into learner engagement in English as a Foreign (EFL) contexts at universities in Japan. Findings related to instructional practices from a mixed-methods investigation conducted at two private universities in western Japan are presented with pedagogical implications and suggestions for further research. Three teachers and their 19 to 20 year-old Japanese learners were observed three times over a fifteen-week school term. These observations were followed up by interviews with the teachers and a small number of learners. Specific instructional strategies found to significantly influence levels of learner engagement (positively or negatively) were (1) strategic use of pair and group work, (2) patterns or rhythms of instruction, (3) questioning style, and (4) scaffolding techniques. Teacher authenticity and presence are discussed as key malleable elements that can be levered to increase learner engagement in classroom activities.