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The purpose of this study is to examine, through a retrospective survey of high school students, the potential "polarization" of affective factors—particularly learner engagement—among elementary school students based on whether or not they had out-of-school English learning experience during the introductory period of the subject "Foreign Language" (Gaikokugo-ka) in Japanese elementary schools. Specifically, the study builds on Koganemaru's (2025) survey of 405 first-year high school students using a scale measuring engagement in elementary school foreign language classes. By incorporating information on respondents' out-of-school English learning experience into both the scale data and open-ended responses from that survey, we conducted several additional quantitative analyses.¹ Furthermore, one student who had out-of-school English learning experience during elementary school and one who had not were selected from the sample, and interviews concerning their learning experiences in elementary school foreign language classes were conducted with each, using the PAC analysis (Analysis of Personal Attitude Construct) framework. The findings from these quantitative and qualitative investigations suggest that the presence or absence of out-of-school English learning experience during elementary school affects the level of learner engagement, potentially giving rise to "polarization." The study also yielded educational implications for enhancing learner engagement, including the finding that students without out-of-school English learning experience may experience stress when they are unable to follow teachers' instructions or understand activity content in foreign language classes, underscoring the need for such students to participate in activities with adequate support.
Research papers (academic journals)
