Dear Japanese language academics,
My name is Taeko Imura and I have been teaching Japanese language for 28 years at Griffith University in Australia. In the event of COVID-19, many of us were given no choice but to make a swift transition from traditional face-to-face classroom to remote teaching from home. Adapting to meet the needs of students and university standards, following the constant changes of local government and health authority guidelines, was a formidable challenge that we have never had before – we were in the same boat. This project aims to investigate experiences and perceptions on online/remote teaching that tertiary Japanese language academics had in a watershed event in education history and to provide insights into future Japanese education.
We would like to invite many Japanese language academics to participate in a research project ‘Reflections on 2020 we are glad to be over but what’s next? – Capturing a historical moment of Japanese language education in Australia and New Zealand’ (Griffith University ethics reference no. 2020/907 and funded by the Queensland Program for Japanese Education) and share experiences and perceptions. There are two anonymous online surveys to the research project: one after semester 2, 2020 and another before semester 1, 2021. You may choose to participate both or one of them. This is the first survey and is open to all tertiary academics who have taught Japanese language in 2020 regardless of academic position/appointment in Australia or New Zealand. Therefore, we will appreciate if you can disseminate this email to casual/sessional academics and postgraduates who were involved in teaching Japanese language remotely at your institution to participate in the research. The second online survey focuses on changes that Japanese language academics have made for teaching in 2021 and will be distributed in February.
We highly value your opinion and time as the information you provide will capture this unique period which has impacted on how we may teach Japanese after post COVID-19. All your responses are completely anonymous, cannot be identified at any stage and treated confidentially at all times. The responses will be retained in electronically-secured Griffith University staff server where only myself and a research assistant have access to for a period of five years before being destroyed. Findings of this research may be disseminated through conference presentation and published in professional journal. A summary report can be provided on request to those who respond to the survey/s after data have been analysed. The report will inform you what experiences and views academics had in regard to teaching Japanese language remotely and may assist you in preparing for 2021.
The survey consists of mainly multiple-choice questions and some questions require short answers. It should take you no longer than 10 minutes to complete. Access from a computer is highly recommended since the display of the Likert-type question on mobile phones or tablets becomes a long list and takes more time to go through. The survey is now open and will close at 11:59 PM on 20 March 2021. There are no foreseeable risks associated with participation in this research. Your participation in this research is voluntary. You can withdraw from further participation at any stage and there are no consequences for withdrawal. If you would like further information regarding any aspect of this project, you are encouraged to contact me via email t.imura@griffith.edu.au
This study has been granted ethical clearance by the Griffith University Human Research Ethics Committee (GU Ref no: 2020/907). Griffith University conducts research in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. If you have any concerns or complaints about the ethical conduct of this research project, you are encouraged to contact the Manager, Research Ethics on 07 3735 4375 or research-ethics@griffith.edu.au
If you decided to participate, please click here to access the survey. By submitting the survey electronically, you have given consent to participate in this research project.
Thank you very much for your participation in this research project.
Dr Taeko Imura
Chief investigator
School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science,
Griffith University, Nathan campus, Australia
Email: t.imura@griffith.edu.au