Merissa Ocampo
Fukushima Gakuin University
Currently, as a full-time lecturer at Fukushima Gakuin University, Dr. Ocampo’s interdisciplinary work combines linguistics and health, looking particularly at the impact of Anxiety, Burnout, and Stress (ABS) on learners and teachers of English as a Foreign Language. Currently, she is focusing on the effectiveness of positive psychology and mindful self-compassion to cope up with ABS among teachers. A naturalized Japanese, Ocampo is also able to draw upon her knowledge of both Japanese and Filipino language and culture to support an intercultural perspective in her work. She is currently developing FEMA more extensively and coordinating a Modular Storybook project for teaching children, nutrition, and health concepts in English.
Sessions
Narrative Book Writing Autonomy: Promotion of Joy
Teachers have the agency to control and allow freedom on the part of their students. However, in this study students were given a high degree of independence in scriptwriting and co-creating storybooks, centered on their own lived experiences. The combination of narrative activity and autonomy led to increased joy and interconnectedness both between students, with their teacher and within the class. Students’ autonomy kindled their self-determination and motivation from within as they cultivated shared goals.