Bridging Educational Cultures Through Classroom Interaction:
A Telecollaboration Project Between Sweden and Japan
Research colleagues Dr Olcay Sert and Dr Mika Ishino share a common interest in classroom interaction and reflective teaching. This laid the foundation for an innovative collaborative project that gives student-teachers in English language from Sweden and Japan the opportunity for professional development and increased intercultural awareness.
Dr Olcay Sert and Dr Mika Ishino
Professor Olcay Sert teaches English language education and classroom interaction courses at Mälardalen University in Sweden.
Associate Professor Mika Ishino teaches English language at Doshisha University in Kyoto, and English teaching methods at Osaka Metropolitan University, Japan.
Both researchers share a strong commitment to improving teacher education through evidence-based practices. Their common interest in classroom interaction and reflective teaching became the foundation for an innovative project that connects student-teachers online across continents.
From Idea to International Collaboration
The project began with a shared interest in English language classroom interaction. In 2020, Dr Ishino contacted Dr Sert after attending one of his online lectures on conversation analysis and asked for feedback on a course syllabus she was developing for English language teacher education in Japan. Her syllabus was inspired by a similar course Dr Sert was already offering in Sweden.
This initial exchange led to deeper collaboration, as both educators started developing their respective courses with each other’s context in mind. Since teaching classroom interaction was a common element, the idea of connecting Swedish and Japanese students soon emerged.
“We thought: Why not let the student-teachers work together? They already analyse classroom interaction as part of their professional development. At the same time, they could learn about each other’s educational culture”, says Dr Sert.
With the aim of creating a shared learning experience, the telecollaboration project officially took shape in 2023. The project was initially supported by funding from Mälardalen University’s internationalisation initiative and partly by Dr Ishinos’ individual research grant from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
Designing the Task
The researchers spent nearly a year developing a guided discovery task that would work in both educational contexts. They selected short, authentic classroom videos representing Sweden and Japan, focusing on comparable teaching moments –such as eliciting student responses or explaining vocabulary.
“We wanted to make sure the videos were comparable. In both Japan and Sweden, teachers try to elicit knowledge from students and explain words during language lessons,” says Dr Sert.
Over time, the task was simplified to focus on one core activity: noticing how teachers interact with students. The final version of the guided discovery task included three key questions:
- What does the teacher elicit?
- What techniques does the teacher use? E.g., multimodal aspects like gestures, facial expressions, pauses, or other strategies to encourage students to speak English.
- What alternative techniques could be used?
“We designed the questions so that students notice what is happening in the classroom, as teacher noticing is a very important skill in their professional learning”, explains Dr Sert.
Once the task design was finalized, the researchers moved forward with implementing the telecollaboration, bringing together student-teachers online from Sweden and Japan for the first time.
Telecollaboration Between Swedish and Japanese Student-teachers
The first online meetings took place in October 2023. The time difference between the countries could have been a challenge, but since the Japanese students preferred meeting in the late afternoon, it was possible to find overlapping times.
Eight Swedish and four Japanese students participated, resulting in slightly uneven group sizes – every Japanese student-teacher worked with two Swedish peers. Each group had about an hour to analyse and discuss two short video clips with transcripts. Their task was to identify, analyse, and reflect on similarities and differences in classroom interaction in Swedish and Japanese contexts. In practice, many meetings continued beyond the scheduled time because students valued the intercultural exchange.
The student-teachers documented their reflections, which Dr Sert and Dr Ishino later reviewed and followed up with interviews.
“We were wondering how the activity could be improved because the first reactions were so positive – the students wanted more. Many things were eye-opening for them, like how classrooms are managed in the two countries and what experiences could be useful in the future,” says Dr Sert.
The project’s data collection resulted in a published research article, and course development continued into the following year when new student-teachers joined.
Student Reactions and Learning Outcomes
For many Japanese students – most of whom had never been abroad or interacted with international peers – the experience was transformative. It gave them a real-world opportunity to discuss teaching practices and reflect on English education in a global context.
“For my students, it’s a huge experience. They were born and raised in Japan and will go straight into Japanese schools without any study abroad experience”, says Dr Ishino.
The differences between the two countries quickly became clear. Japanese students are not exposed to English in daily life as much as their Swedish peers, so the meetings provided valuable practice in authentic settings.
“Some of the Japanese students were nervous at first, but later they said they enjoyed the meeting and wanted to speak more like their Swedish peers”, Dr Ishino adds.
Swedish students gained new insights into classroom management and teacher roles in Japan, noting differences in formality, respect, and language use.
“They were impressed by how well-dressed and respected the teacher was in Japanese classrooms – they used the word ‘respect’ a lot”, says Dr Sert.
Intercultural communication was another important outcome. Students exchanged cultural observations, sometimes surprising each other with everyday facts.
“One student was amazed to hear that in Sweden it gets dark outside at 2:00 PM in winter. They learned a lot about culture and other things from each other”, Dr Ishino recalls.
One of the most striking findings was how students from different countries noticed and interpreted multimodal aspects of teaching – such as gestures, facial expressions, and body language – in similar ways. Despite cultural differences, they shared a common understanding of how these non-verbal cues function pedagogically.
Students also reflected on language use. Swedish classrooms were perceived as more communicative, with English used extensively, while Japanese classrooms often relied on Japanese as a support language. These observations led students to reconsider their own teaching practices.
“The Swedish students started thinking about how these differences are important, and some reflected that maybe using Swedish sometimes could help students in trouble”, says Dr Sert.
English teaching at a Japanese upper secondary school. Snapshot from a video clip.
Impact on Professional Development and Intercultural Awareness
The project significantly contributed to the student-teachers’ professional development. Through the collaborative noticing process, they deepened their understanding of classroom interaction and developed critical awareness of teaching techniques and cultural norms. This process also supported their growth in intercultural competence and helped them reflect on what it means to be a globally competent educator. Dr Sert points out the importance of broadening their perspectives:
“When they graduate from Mälardalen University, I want them to be able to teach in any country. The English subject gives this access.”
One of the students who participated in the telecollaboration activity in 2024 – Måns Fornelius – now teaches English and Swedish at Grillska gymnasiet (upper secondary school) in Eskilstuna, Sweden. He agrees with his former teacher:
“Dr Sert was very clear that English opens a lot of opportunities. So, it's definitely something I’ve thought about – working as a teacher somewhere else than in Sweden – to see how it works in a different school system.”
Måns Fornelius also agrees that he developed a critical awareness that helped him reflect on classroom interaction and different teaching techniques:
“When analyzing the videos, I imagined myself in the teacher’s role – what would I’ve done differently, and why? That kind of reflection has stayed with me in my professional role – always evaluate: what did I do now and why, what went well and what can I do better next time?”.
During the telecollaboration activity, he reflected on the differences between the Japanese and Swedish school cultures. Students talking with each other in English class often considered a good thing in Sweden, but in Japan it is a sign that students do not listen and show enough respect. Måns Fornelius also reflected on the similarities in what the student-teachers experienced as good teaching.
“One teacher had good communication with the students. He tried to give examples, explained the English words and wrote on the board. He repeated a word – either to mark that it was wrong or just to quickly correct it – so the student picked it up, continued, and then used the word correctly after that. Both parties noticed that it worked well and was something we took with us.”
Måns Fornelius experienced the cultural exchange as positive, but in his case, there was not plenty of time to explore that part.
Måns Fornelius
Looking Ahead
The collaboration continues to expand. Based on student feedback, Dr Sert and Dr Ishino addressed the issue of unequal group sizes by inviting a research colleague from a third country to join the initiative. As of this semester, student-teachers from South Korea are participating in the telecollaboration.
Recent evaluations also highlighted a desire for an additional meeting focused on socializing and sharing perspectives. Since the telecollaboration is not only a professional learning experience but also a cultural exchange, both course leaders welcome the idea. Students have also proposed further developments:
“They said things like planning lessons together or doing microteaching for each other. So, in the future, maybe we’ll start thinking about those options,” says Dr Sert.
Overall, the project fosters intercultural awareness, professional reflection, and a global mindset – essential qualities for educators working in increasingly diverse classrooms.
Follow the links for further information about the research project:
Telecollaboration Japan & Sweden, MIND - Mälardalen Interaction and Didactics Research Group
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