Student Engagement through Production & Process-Oriented English Learning

Low student engagement has recently become a concern for higher education around the world. In Japanese EFL contexts, this issue tends to become more evident upon their entrance into university. In exploring solutions, this study investigated the impact of production & process-oriented English learning on learner engagement. Using an action research methodology, the study implemented a production & process-oriented framework in two distinct academic settings: an Academic English course and a General English course, each led by a separate researcher. An online survey was administered to measure student engagement and to elicit students’ experiences and perceptions of the approach. A descriptive approach was taken to analysing data, and student feedback was analysed mainly through qualitative thematic analysis. The results showed, both studies, despite the different course contexts, yielded relatively consistent results, showing enhanced engagement across social, cognitive, and emotional dimensions. While students may experience difficulties and challenges initially, the findings suggest the approach taken in this study was effective not only in raising learner engagement, but also in terms of personal growth. This paper discusses the emerging themes from two action research studies and explores their implications.