This article was originally published in the Selected Papers section of the 2024 Postconference Publication (PCP), Moving JALT Into the Future: Opportunity, Diversity, and Excellence. The PCP publishes papers based on presentations given at the JALT International Conference, and the Selected Papers section highlights a small number of papers of exceptional quality that have been first suggested by the editorial staff and then vetted by the JALTPublications Board through a blind review process. We feel that papers like this one represent some of the best work that the JALT Conference and the PCP have to offer, and encourage interested readers to check out other selected papers at https://jalt-publications.org/proceedings.
Reference Data:
Suemori, S. (2025). Challenges of university English teachers in Japan: A preliminary study. B. Lacy, M. Swanson, & R. P. Lege (Eds.), Moving JALT into the Future: Opportunity, Diversity, and Excellence. JALT.
In the field of language learning psychology, research on teachers has gained prominence, as teaching is widely recognized as a highly stressful profession associated with low well-being and high attrition rates. This qualitative study explores the experiences of three English teachers at Japanese universities through semi-structured interviews, examining the challenges they face and the strategies they use to manage them. The findings highlight significant difficulties, including teaching under institutional constraints, feeling insecure about their language skills, and coping with students’ unexpected behaviors. The results suggest that cultivating self-compassion may help teachers navigate these challenges more effectively. Additionally, the study implies that administrative support can enhance teachers’ job satisfaction.
言語学習における心理研究にて、教師に対する注目が近年高まっている。教師はストレスレベルが高く、幸福感が低いことから、離職率が高い傾向にある。本研究は、日本の大学にて英語を教える教師の経験に焦点を置き、どのような困難を経験しているか、困難にどのように対処しているか、半構造化インタビューにて調査を実施した。教師は制限がある中で教えることや学生の予期せぬ行動から影響を受けていることが示された。困難に対処する上で、セルフコンパッションが重要となることが示唆された。また、組織のサポートが教師の支えとなる点も示唆された。
