This presentation introduces instructional practices in compulsory English reading and grammar courses for first- and second-year students with lower English proficiency at a Japanese private university. Although the instructor did not provide strong requirements for out-of-class study, end-of-semester evaluations from the 2024 academic year showed that all classes taught by the instructor exceeded institutional averages on items related to students’ out-of-class learning behaviors (preview and review). To understand the factors behind this positive outcome, a reflective analysis was conducted using the instructor’s classroom records and qualitative student feedback.

As a result, three core instructional principles support autonomous learning:

1. In classroom activities, the instructor prioritized reasoning over memorization to foster students’ cognitive legitimacy.

2. In every lesson, the instructor provided clear steps for finding supporting evidence in texts and for using grammatical reasoning. These demonstrations equipped students to independently rebuild their understanding.

3. Instructional content and assessment tasks were closely aligned, making the link between preparation and test performance clear to students.

Student feedback underscored the importance of transparent assessment criteria, meaningful participation opportunities, and a supportive classroom climate that treats students’ errors as valuable learning resources. 

These findings indicate that clarity, coherence, and perceived fairness in instructional design can effectively promote sustained preview and review behaviors. This case study offers insights for EFL teachers seeking to foster self-regulated learning among lower-proficiency students.

Sachi Oshima is an associate professor at the Faculty of Law, Chuo Gakuin University, Chiba. After working for the Japan Foundation as a chief officer, she has been teaching English at the university level since 2017. Her research interests are related to TESOL and intercultural exchange projects.