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Hi! I’m Thomas Stringer. This portal features resources for learners, practitioners, and researchers on language learner autonomy or related topics.
May 2025 Feature Post: Beyond The Abstracts Season 2
This series goes Beyond The Abstracts, featuring behind the scenes conversations with researchers and educational practitioners in language learner autonomy or related fields.
Beyond the Abstracts: Supporting Autonomy-Supportive Communities – Satoko Watkins (May 2025, Season 2, Episode 1)
So, the learner is an expert in themselves, and I just want help this person to explore themselves, and their possibilities, and learn about themselves as a learner.
Satoko Watkins
In this episode, I speak with Satoko Watkins, a learning advisor and associate professor at the Self-Access Learning Center at Kanda University of International Studies. Satoko shares how her passion for learner autonomy and pro-social learning has shaped her work with leaders of student communities, and her doctoral research in psychology. We mainly discuss her co-authored book From Student to Community Leader: A Guide for Autonomy-Supportive Leadership Development, exploring how autonomy-supportive leadership and advising practices can empower students to take charge of their learning—and support the learning of others. Our conversation about this hands-on textbook is a must-listen for anyone interested in developing leadership among students.
And now, here is my conversation with Satoko Watkins:
More from Satoko Watkins:
- Ambinintsoa, D. & Watkins, S. (2023). Promoting Peer Collaboration to Develop Learner Autonomy: Examples from a Self-Access Center (SAC). In T. Muller, J. Adamson, S. Herder, & P. S. Brown (Eds.), Re-envisioning EFL education in Asia (pp. 60-76). International Teacher Development Institute.
- Watkins, S. (2021). Becoming autonomous and autonomy-supportive of others: Student community leaders’ reflective learning experiences in a leadership training course. JASAL Journal, 2(1), 4–25.
- Watkins, S. (2022). Creating social learning opportunities outside the classroom: How interest-based learning communities support learners’ basic psychological needs. In J. Mynard & S. Shelton-Strong (Eds.), Autonomy support beyond the language learning classroom: A self-determination theory perspective (pp. 109-129). Multilingual Matters.
- Watkins, S., & Mynard, J. (2023). Leaderful practices beyond the classroom: Examining how students thrive within a complex dynamic ecosystem. In S. Egitim & Y. Umemiya (Eds.), Leaderful classroom pedagogy through an interdisciplinary lens: Merging theory with practice (pp. 35-52). Springer.
Works discussed:
- Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall.
- Reeve, J. (2016). Autonomy-supportive teaching: What it is, how to do it. In W. C. Liu, J. C. Wang, & R. M. Ryan (Eds.), Building autonomous learners (pp. 129-152). Springer.
- Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. The Guilford Press.
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