Learner interviews for flexible education in a Japanese tertiary curriculum

Yoko Hirata and Yoshihiro Hirata
Hokkai-Gakuen University
Sapporo, Japan

This study outlines a series of face-to-face semi-structured interviews conducted in a Japanese tertiary English classroom. It begins with an explanation of the background search underlying the chosen interview process and how the interview data were analysed. This is followed by a description of the major features of the students’ responses, and then an investigation of how their comments — especially those regarding teaching methods and materials — changed over the course of the academic year. The findings illustrate the importance of providing students with opportunities to express their opinions openly and directly with their instructors, so that the instructors are better able to determine how they might improve their teaching methods and materials, and shape their curricula.