Assessing Bilingual e-Learning Materials for EPA-Certified Care Worker Candidates: Strategies to Improve National Examination Pass Rates.

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25380751
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Social welfare and social work studies
• Research Institution: University of Hyogo
• Principal Investigator: SUEHIRO Miki 兵庫県立大学, 経済学部, 教授 (50389095)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 外国人介護福祉士候補者 / 経済連携協定（EPA） / 英語の役割 / e-Learning型学習 / 情報通信技術（ICT） / インドネシア / 自律学習支援 / 介護福祉士国家試験

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In addressing the rapidly aging societies, in 2008 Japan established an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Indonesia to recruit skilled care workers. However, it is evident that the candidate’s pass rate was low. This is arguably due to the fact that the examination was in Japanese. Candidates had no choice but to take the national examination in Japanese in the same way as Japanese nationals. This pilot study aims at providing an alternative solution to increase the number of successful candidates. It examines whether a hybrid teaching method using English as an intervention language (one of the language of instructions) and internet-based learning can be an effective study strategy. Results show that combining English as an intervention language and internet-based learning is effective in raising certified care workers’ national examination pass rates in Japan.

Free Research Field

言語文化教育学、e-Learning教育、社会学（異文化接触とアイデンティティの変容）