W. L. Quint Oga-Baldwin
Professor of Education at Waseda University
Teacher trainer
Researcher in the psychology of education and language
Quint Oga-Baldwin is a Professor in the School of Education at Waseda University. He received his doctorate from Hyogo University of Teacher Education.
He has taught at every level of the Japanese educational system, and works with numerous boards of education and private industries on training high quality educators.
Professor Oga-Baldwin's research focuses on the empirical study of learning motivation, with a particular emphasis on teachers’ motivating styles and students' engagement in formal learning contexts. Much of his work focuses on language education in the Japanese context.
He has published articles on language learning and motivation in journals such as Contemporary Educational Psychology, Motivation and Emotion, Language Teaching Research, Learning and Individual Differences, System, ELT Journal, and Frontline Learning Reasearch.
He is the recipient of the 2020 Waseda University High Impact Publication Award.
Dr. Oga-Baldwin is a proud member of the Motivation2Learn labs network, where he actively collaborates with their international partners and representatives. In connection with these ongoing projects, he currently supervises a number of multinational undergraduate and graduate students toward fulfillment of their educational goals.
In 2019, he edited the Special Issue of the journal System on New Directions for Individual Differences Research in Language Education. You can download and read his opening editorial here.
Select Publications
A selection of Dr. Oga-Baldwin's recent and noteworthy papers
Learning a new language: How different is it from one's own language?
Much of the work on foreign language motivation has been justified by the idea that learning a new language is different from other subjects. In this study, we tested the validity of this underlying hypothesis with regard to motivation. We found strong evidence for overlap between Japanese secondary school students' motivation to learn English and their motivation to study their own language.
Citation:
Oga-Baldwin, W. L. Q., & Fryer, L. K. (2020). Profiles of language learning motivation: Are new and own languages different? Learning and Individual Differences, 79, 101852. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2020.101852
Teaching Expertise
Courses and Workshops
Foreign Language in Elementary Schools
This course focuses on the social, theoretical, practical, and technical aspects of elementary foreign language education. In this course, we focus mostly on the Japanese education system, with some comparison with other FLES systems and policies around the world. A special emphasis is placed on learning through play and the development of literacy, especially how EFL learners develop knowledge of sound-letter connections through interaction with their own and other languages.
Teaching practicum for language education
In this practicum, teacher trainees work on the basics of how to organize, present, and instruct learners in foreign language settings. Through effective interaction and communication, we improve teachers' motivation and pedagogical skills. Special focus is given to strategies to promote the use of the foreign language and increase the quality and quantity of input students receive from their teachers.
Elements of this class are also available as one-day teaching workshops and in-service training.
Motivation, engagement, and the psychology of learning
This in-depth seminar focuses on the how and why of learning in formal educational settings. We consider cognitive, developmental, pedagogical, environmental, and psychological influences on learning, and explore possible relationships between these elements. Attention is given to the influence of domain-specific features of classes such as national and foreign languages and mathematics.
Research methods in language education
This course focuses on preparing graduate researchers to use quantitative methods for investigating many aspects of language education. Focus is given to recent developments in research methods, statistics reform, and the practical aspects of review and publication.
The Japanese educational system
This overview course surveys different aspects of the Japanese educational landscape. We explore the different, historical, social, and political realities of Japanese education. Extra care is given to the role of foreign language, with a careful eye to its relationship to the other core subjects and the clear discrepancies in their outcomes on international comparisons.
Teaching practices for young learners
In previous work, we illustrated the importance of autonomy support and structure for young learners. Here, we used mixed methods to demonstrate how teachers can use this in their classes. We found empirical evidence for creating a high energy, high focus classroom through effective organization, and documented what teachers do and say to get these results. In the most engaged classes, teachers were consistently strict but also warm and friendly, the homeroom teachers were central to the class, the instructions were simple and clear, and activities were short and highly varied.
Citation:
Oga-Baldwin, W. L. Q., & Nakata, Y. (2020). How teachers promote young language learners’ engagement. Language Teaching for Young Learners, 2(1), 101–130. http://doi.org/10.1075/ltyl.19009.oga
Schools can improve motivation
Our work here showed that, contrary to the impressions of many lay theorists, schools can have a positive influence on motivation. Over the final two years of elementary school, Japanese students finished more engaged with and interested to learn a foreign language than when they started. This implies that formal education can have a positive effect on students' well-being when done in a nurturing and interesting fashion.
Citation:
Oga-Baldwin, W. L. Q., & Fryer, L. K. (2018). Schools can improve motivational quality: Profile transitions across early foreign language learning experiences. Motivation and Emotion, 42(4), 527–545. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-018-9681-7
Motivating young language learners
This paper offers an empirical model for how young language learners develop motivation. In this study, we surveyed a large cohort of Japanese children over the course of their first year of exposure to English as a foreign language. A positive, satisfying, engaging learning environment had strong predictive effects for the development of motivation. Motivation and engagement then positively predicted achievement.
Citation:
Oga-Baldwin, W. L. Q., Nakata, Y., Parker, P., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). Motivating young language learners: A longitudinal model of self-determined motivation in elementary school foreign language classes. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 49, 140–150. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2017.01.010
Doctor of Philosophy in Education
Doctoral advising with Dr. Oga-Baldwin at Waseda University or as a member of the Motivation2Learn Lab network involves independently answering cutting edge research questions to push the boundaries of human knowledge in the field of education, psychology, and language learning. Current advising on doctoral projects include:
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Latent growth curve modeling of elementary students self-efficacy for learning English, using teacher support, structure, and control as predictors
Master of Arts in Education
Masters level advising with Dr. Oga-Baldwin involves developing a theoretical and empirical foundation for a research career. Subjects emphasized include strong qualitative and quantitative modeling procedures, motivational and psychological theory, second language pedagogy, and language policy. Research projects focus on a substantive review of the literature with an eye toward replication studies or Current and past advising on masters projects include:
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Theoretical critiques of language based motivational theories in light of educational / psychological principles
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Uses and limitations of L1 codeswitching in L2 pedagogy
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Updated definitions and approaches to motivational theory in cross-cultural settings
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Motivational and pedagogical issues in digital learning
Advising
Doctoral and Masters
Complete Publication List
File download embedded
Get in Touch
Questions, comments, requests, and concerns can be sent to Professor Oga-Baldwin here
quint [at] waseda.jp
