Student Engagement in an English-Taught Political Science Program at an American University Campus in Japan 1

The number of Japanese universities teaching political science courses in English is increasing so that students now have more opportunity than ever before to “learn in English” rather than “learn English. ” Along with educational leaders, many people in politics and business hope that this can contribute to a more globally-minded labour force (Asakura 2014). Political Science, an area of study that emphasizes power relations, is well-placed to contribute to this trend. However, instructors teaching such classes in English in Japan face the age-old problem common to instructors in all disciplines how to make sure that students who take these classes are engaged. This means that students learn inside and outside class; they feel positive towards the subject matter and their classes, and they are committed to understanding a difficult subject. The main finding of the academic literature on student engagement is that academic performance is affected by intrinsic motivation (Deci et al. 1991, p. 331). Education scholars divide engagement into three types behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and cognitive engagement. Motivating students in an English-taught program in Japan is of particular importance since many of the students will be studying in their second language in a classroom that is far more heterogeneous that what they may be accustomed to. Until now, however, as suggested by the popularity of faculty development programs at Japanese universities, departments have tended to focus on improving student engagement by promoting the skills of instructors. By introducing active learning in the Japanese classroom, many believe, students will learn more. However, by focusing solely on the instructor and the curriculum, we may be ignoring the different ways that students accept new information and integrate it into existing knowledge. Understanding how those students who make the conscious decision to take political science courses in English are engaged and motivated may also help us to design a curriculum that is less about how we think our pupils should learn and more about how they do (Fox, Ronkowski 1997, p. 732). Motivated students take an interest in their learning, can improve their problem-solving skills, tend to do better at increasing their knowledge, and are also more likely to develop a sense of confidence and social responsibility (Deci et al. 1991). It is especially relevant for English-taught political science courses in Japan. Students come from an educational system that emphasizes exams (an external incentive) and must suddenly adapt to a system emphasizing self-study and the ability to analyze the arguments of others critically. The central premise behind my study is that by learning more about the motivations of people who decide to study political science in English in Japan, we can design better classes using internal incentives to motivate students rather than relying exclusively on external rewards and punishments. Student Engagement in an English-Taught Political Science Program at an American University Campus in Japan