Self-Efficacy and Learning Behavior Laboratory
Program in English Language and Culture Education, School of Education
Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University

Our mission is to improve educational outcomes and community outreach for English language and intercultural learning in Japan with research on personality traits, motivational states, and adaptive self-regulation

News and Activities

2026-2027

• Lab Manager, Soshi Uehara, presented a research poster at the World Creativity Conference 2026 hosted by Seoul National University

• Two prospective research students from the U.S. based in Fukuoka and Kyoto visited lab facilities and given tour of the university by lab student

• Dr. Russell S. Kabir gave oral presentations at APS Annual Convention 2026 (Barcelona), World Creativity Conference 2026 (Seoul), and ISSBD 2026 (Incheon)

• Master's student, Kohei Masaki, to lead After-School Kanji Learning Support Program in partnership with instructors and staff at AICJ International School Elementary

• Lab Manager, Soshi Uehara, receives official Qualified Teacher Assistant appointment at the Global Commons Kick-off Event in the School of Education, Hiroshima University

• Dr. Russell S. Kabir named as a recipient of the Association for Psychological Science (APS) Rising Star Award

• Three Kabir Lab students return to pursue graduate level research in the Educational Design for Teacher Educators Program, Hiroshima University

2025-2026

• Graduating senior, Hayate Inaya, presents independent research poster at ISSEP Virtual Pre-conference of the SPSP Annual Convention 2026

• PI and Lab Manager present poster for the APA Division 1 "Next Big Ideas" Conference held at Arizona State University, Tempe Campus

• PI leads Positive Education and Advanced Study in Competency Design students on field visit collaboration with teachers at AICJ International School Elementary

• Lab Director serves as U.S. guest speaker participating in the Digital Citizenship City Dialogue Project simultaneously with 23 elementary school classes across Japan

• Lab Director gives special English workshop on Scientific Writing for the Super Science High School Program at Hiroshima University Senior High School

• Lab Students and PI visit annual best practices in teaching reflection meeting with instructors from the AICJ International School Elementary

• Lab Director presents KAKEN related research progress modeling study abroad as a psychologically rich experience at International Conference on Life Education and Well-being at the Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po

• PI and Lab Manager attend Tsurumaru High School in Kagoshima City to promote university education through a special lecture on Lafcadio Hearn

• PI, INU Collaborator, and U4 seminar senior present research poster at Japan Association of Qualitative Psychology Annual Conference 2025

• Visiting Professor, Dr. Harvell-Bowman, gives special event presentation organized by the Lab on American life experiences

• Lab hosts Visiting Professor (Dr. Harvell-Bowman) from JMU for INU Seed Fund Project (Phase 1)

• PI served as consultant for the activity designs of the Global Learning Center and attends kickoff

• Event organized by lab featuring spoken word performer, Liam Coady, on ways to integrate English poetry reading and writing in Japanese classrooms

• Event organized by lab featuring MEXT award-winning inservice educator, Patrick Murphy, on updated teaching practices for High School English Speech and Debate in Japan

• Lab Director, Dr. Russell S. Kabir, chosen as the recipient of the IAIR Early Career Award at the IAIR & IACCP Conference 2025 in Brisbane, Australia

• Lab Director and Prof. Toshimune Kambara's Psycholinguistics Laboratory members published an article in Language, Cognition and Neuroscience

• Second workshop on creative communication developed by our lab coordinated with Western Carolina University faculty

• Lab Director served as a panelist for the Hiroshima Jogakuin JHS (2nd Year) Peace Studies Course

2024-2025

• Lab Director discusses linguistics and language education on You Know What I Would Do, a podcast hosted by Mike Castle and Joey Greer 

• Lab members attend and co-present poster for the 12th International Symposium of Linguapax Asia 2024 hosted by Eikei University of Hiroshima (日本語)

• Lab Director and JMU Collaborator Dr. Lindsey Harvell-Bowman awarded Phase 1 Seed Money Funding from the International Network of Universities (INU)

• Lab Director awarded the INU Researcher Mobility Award to collaborate with Dr. Lindsey Harvell-Bowman at James Madison University (JMU)

• Lab Director and Kyoei senior provide keynote presentation on creative thinking and education at Hiroshima JET ALT Orientation 2024

• Lab Director and Kyoei Lab Students spearhead presentations and mock lessons for English education at Hiroshima University Open Campus 2024

• Coordinated study abroad panel symposium with a Kyoei semester abroad student, Takehara ALT, Mr. Matthew Loomis, and Dr. Aaron Sponseller

• Lab members visited Prof. Shinya's biomechanics lab and Prof. Yamane's phonology and phonetics lab in a lunch research meeting exchange

• Co-coordinated teacher training workshop on task-based language teaching with U.S. Department of State English Language Fellow, Ms. Claire Lee

• Lab Director and mentee Gahl Liberzon presented student research poster for the APA Division 37 and ABCT Student Symposium 2024 (Virtual)

• Lab Director and Dr. Sponseller presented research progress on study abroad motivation with mentees at Osaka JALT Conference 2024

• Collaborative research article published in the journal Word with Dr. Toshimune Kambara and the psycholingustics laboratory

• Dr. Delakorda Kawashima and the Lab Director served as panelists for the Hiroshima Jogakuin JHS/SHS Peace Studies Course

• Lab Director gave an oral presentation with mentee Gahl Liberzon at the ISQOLS 2024 Winter Virtual Conference

2022-2023

• New co-authored journal article published in Communications Psychology with international collaborative research team

• New co-authored journal article published in Psychological Assessment with international collaborative research team

• Lab Director presented an abstract poster for the virtual showcase of the Global Flourishing Conference 2023

• Lab Director gave an online lecture on intercultural communication for the All-Japan International Student Committee (AJISC)

• Lab Director presented grant work progress at International Network of Educational Institutes (INEI) annual meeting in Seoul, South Korea

• New co-authored article published with Dr. Takuya Fujikawa on effortful control traits and interoceptive attention tendencies

• Lab Director and Doctoral Student Shizuki Saruta presented posters at IPPA World Congress on Positive Psychology in Vancouver, Canada

• Lab Director presented research progress at a seminar organized by Dr. Mayu Koike (Institute of Science Tokyo) for students at Science Tokyo

• Special event workshop on creative communication developed by our lab coordinated with Western Carolina University faculty

• Workshop on improving team teaching led by our lab and Dr. Brett Walter conducted with ALTs and English education majors

• New co-authored article published with Dr. Shogo Hihara (Matsuyama Univ.) on trauma exposure, post-traumatic stress, and identity content in Japan

• New co-authored journal article published with Dr. Kohei Kambara (Doshisha Univ.) on processing modes and mindfulness in Japan

• Lab Director appeared as commentator at Kyoto University Research Administration Center event with Dr. Rafik Hadfi

• English education student who rehearsed with lab wins 3rd prize at the Waseda English Speaking Society's Okuma Cup

• Kabir Lab produces English educational materials and implementation for Super Science High School's scientific writing workshop

• Lab Director featured on nationally televised series, Why Did You Come to Japan? (TV Tokyo)【広島のスピッツ大好きＹＯＵ】

• Collaborative research article led by Lab Director on adolescent well-being in Ghana featured in science communication press