Researcher Interviews-Ayako Kobayashi
Beyond The Abstracts: autonomy and self-regulated learning- Ayako Kobayashi (February 2024)
In this Beyond The Abstracts conversation I speak with （香林綾子） Ayako Kobayashi. Ayako is an Assistant Professor in the department of International Tourism at Heian Jogakuin (St Agnes’) University, Kyoto, Japan. In addition to teaching and learning materials development for listening and presentation, she is a member of the Japan Association of College English Teachers (JACET), conducts research on language learner autonomy, and is the author of a new book on self-regulated learning. In the conversation, we cover Ayako’s background, motivation, and research journey. We also look at themes from her published work in the field of autonomy and self-regulated learning. This conversation will be essential reading for anyone with an interest in these areas.
And now, here is my conversation with Ayako Kobayashi.
Part 1: Introduction
Thomas Stringer: Let’s set the stage a little. Please tell us about yourself. First, how do you define what it is you do now?
Ayako Kobayashi: Hi Tom. Thank you very much for inviting me to your project. I think this can be a great opportunity for researchers, especially those who just started doing research. Your project seems to create kind of a community where researchers/teachers share their goals, concerns and all, which is nice. I am an Assistant Professor in the department of International Tourism at Heian Jogakuin (St. Agnes’) University, Kyoto, Japan. My current research interests cover learner autonomy and self-regulated learning in language educational contexts.
Thomas Stringer: Can you share a bit about your upbringing? Were they any pivotal influences in your early life that sparked your interest in following the path you did?
Ayako Kobayashi: Yes, I think foreign movies and music influenced me a lot. I often watched movies in English.
Thomas Stringer: Were there any memorable teachers, advisors, or researchers who you credit with helping you end up where you are?
Ayako Kobayashi: Yes, especially my former advisors are great mentors to me. I have been lucky to have these kind, inspiring, and encouraging teachers. I have huge respect for those distinguished researchers who are still kind and open-minded such as Tim Murphey and Yashima Tomoko just to name a few. I appreciate their hospitality, for example at conferences, they are friendly enough to have a conversation with the participants.
Thomas Stringer: What motivates you to keep working in this field?
Ayako Kobayashi: Conferences and communication with other teachers/researchers. I sometimes review academic papers as a reviewer, which also stimulates my interest.
Thomas Stringer: Is having an impact beyond your immediate environment important to you?
Ayako Kobayashi: I think having an impact on my immediate environment would be very important to me: It has the potential to make a big difference.
Thomas Stringer: Can you highlight some of the challenges you’ve faced in your research career and how you overcame them?
Ayako Kobayashi: I am still in the midst of challenges. However, I am a very positive person, and that attitude helps me keep going, I think. Whenever I face challenges, I overcome challenges by telling myself that you learn from failure. I tackle the issue gradually but steadily.
Thomas Stringer: Is there a particular research career highlight that you are most proud of?
Ayako Kobayashi: I was extremely proud when one of my papers was published in an international journal for the first time.
Part 2: Work Life
Thomas Stringer: How do you primarily see yourself? As a teacher/ researcher/ something else/ some combination of the above?
Ayako Kobayashi: I see myself as some combination of the above: a teacher, researcher, mentor, educator, materials developer, organizer, editor, writer, etc.
Thomas Stringer: Can you walk us through the evolution of your research interests from early in your career to where you are now? (In other words) How have your research priorities or methods evolved over time?
Ayako Kobayashi: My research interests (promoting learner autonomy, self-regulated learning in English language teaching) have not changed, but now I am more interested in hybrid/online learning after the covid-19 pandemic. Although my teaching philosophy and research interests have not changed, in terms of my research journey, to investigate the effects of self-regulated learning instruction in an EFL classroom, obviously I did a literature review. Then, I developed questionnaires as there were no instruments to measure self-regulated learning in English as a Foreign Language classrooms. After that I conducted a series of studies with those instruments.
Thomas Stringer: Is there such a thing as a typical day in your role? What does it look like? How do you balance the demands of teaching, research, academic service with other aspects of your life?
Ayako Kobayashi: This is an interesting question! I do some exercise (ballet and yoga) on weekends when I have time. I enjoy coloring to relax. I would love to know how other researchers manage.
Thomas Stringer: Where do you see your field heading in the next decade?
Ayako Kobayashi: I would love to collaborate with researchers not only in Japan but also overseas. I have used Flip in my classrooms in the past few years. I am looking forward to having an international project by using technology such as Zoom and Flip. So, if you are interested in self-regulated learning in hybrid learning, please contact me!
Part 3: Work Focus
Thomas Stringer: Could you start by telling us what learner autonomy is?
Ayako Kobayashi: Learner autonomy is executed when learners set goals and try to achieve them.
Thomas Stringer: What do you feel are the affordances and limitations of using an action research model to investigate it?
Ayako Kobayashi: Hmm, I think action research can be more accessible for teachers as they are the ones who face students and educate them and help them grow. However, action research results should be carefully obtained and analyzed to achieve objectivity, which can be challenging for busy teachers.
Thomas Stringer: What motivated you to research autonomy in relation to extensive listening?
Ayako Kobayashi: I am always motivated to promote learner autonomy as a teacher. Extensive listening was just one of the tools/materials which were convenient and accessible for us at that time.
Thomas Stringer: Could you explain a bit about instruction for self-regulated learning, how it is differentiated from instruction for autonomy, and why it is important in the EFL classroom in Japan?
Ayako Kobayashi: It is basically the same. Learner autonomy is important due to the limited time in the classroom in Japan. We have very few opportunities to use English. In order to improve our own English skills, we must take advantage of autonomous learning.
Thomas Stringer: Are your key findings transferable to other contexts? If so, how?
Ayako Kobayashi: Yes. All the suggestions obtained through a series of studies can be transferable to any contexts such as hybrid learning, CLIL, and project-based learning.
Part 4: Closing
Thomas Stringer: What are your interests and hobbies outside of research? How do these activities influence or complement your work as a researcher and educator?
Ayako: This is another interesting question. I do ballet and yoga. During the lesson, I monitor myself and teachers as a learner. Through that kind of experience, I clearly understand that teacher modeling is very effective. By looking at how she/he does it, I feel that I can also do it, which is related to an important concept of self-regulated learning: self-efficacy.
Learn more about Ayako Kobayashi’s work here:
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Kobayashi, A. (2011). Teachers’ Perceived Use and Importance of Metacognitive Instruction Techniques in Japanese EFL Classrooms. ARELE: Annual Review of English Language Education in Japan, 22, 185-200. https://doi.org/10.20581/arele.22.0_185
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Kobayashi, A. (2020). Fostering Learner Autonomy in an EFL Classroom Through an Action Research by Adapting Extensive Listening Activities. Language Education & Technology, 57(0), 91-120. https://doi.org/10.24539/let.57.0_91
- Kobayashi, A. (2023). Investigating the effects of self-regulated learning instruction in Japanese EFL classrooms : promoting learner autonomy. Kinseido. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1130296563708312075
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