PanSIG 2026 - Building Language Competencies through Community

Teachers’ Beliefs and Pedagogical Approaches in After-School ELT in Japan

23 May 2026, 14:50

25m

0号building/6-606 (Chukyo University)

A. Research-oriented Oral Presentation (25 minutes) ART: Art, Research, and Teaching 606

Speaker

Marwa Mannan (Waseda University)

Description

Research on English language education in Japan’s out-of-school institutions (e.g., after-school programs and cram schools) remains limited, highlighting the need for further investigation into teachers, pedagogy, and teaching materials. This study examines after-school English teachers’ beliefs about language learning in Japan using Horwitz’s BALLI scale and semi-structured interviews, exploring how these beliefs shape their teaching style and classroom practices.

References

1. Horwitz, E. K. (1988). The beliefs about language learning of beginning university foreign language students. The Modern Language Journal, 72(3), 283–294. https://doi.org/10.2307/327506
2. Lowe, J. R. (2015). Cram Schools in Japan: The Need for Research. The Language Teacher, 39(1), 26.
3. Philips, S., & Borg, S. (2009). Exploring tensions between teachers’ grammar teaching beliefs and practices. System, 37(3), 380–390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2009.03.002
4. Tsunemoto, A., Trofimovich, P., & Kennedy, S. (2023). Pre-service teachers’ beliefs about second language pronunciation teaching, their experience, and speech assessments. Language Teaching Research, 27(1), 115–136. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820937273

Abstract

Abstract – Beliefs are important as guiding forces behind teachers’ actions that can significantly influence their pedagogical decisions (Philips and Borg, 2009). Research on teachers' beliefs has investigated how they shape classroom practices, which generally include instructional elements such as activities, tasks, and assessments (Tsunemoto et al., 2020). While many studies have been done on the beliefs of teachers in service at schools or universities, out-of-school institutions such as after-schools or Jukus (cram schools) are often left out (Lowe, 2015). Thus, the current study explores the beliefs about language learning held by English language teachers (ELT) working in after-school programs in Japan teaching elementary school students, and how they inform their teaching styles. As the ELTs working in these after-school programs don’t need to have specific qualifications or licenses to teach, it is more challenging to ensure their quality of teaching. Given the Japanese education culture of strong reliance on supplementary English lessons outside of formal schooling, investigations on the beliefs of teachers working at such institutions are particularly important. Data will be collected using the Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) by Horwitz (1988) from ELTs working at after-schools with follow-up interview questions exploring teachers’ beliefs in more detail. This study contributes to research on teacher beliefs in underexplored after-school English education contexts in Japan and highlights implications for teacher recruitment and pedagogical practices.

Keywords

Teacher beliefs, BALLI, language teaching, after-school English lesson

Short summary

Research on English language education in Japan’s out-of-school institutions (e.g., after-school programs and cram schools) remains limited, highlighting the need for further investigation into teachers, pedagogy, and teaching materials. This study examines after-school English teachers’ beliefs about language learning in Japan using Horwitz’s BALLI scale and semi-structured interviews, exploring how these beliefs shape their teaching style and classroom practices.