Stories of Learning Through Games: A Narrative Inquiry Into Vocabulary Learning Experiences of First-Year Junior High School Efl Learners in Himeji, Japan

This study explored how first-year junior high school EFL learners in Himeji, Japan experienced and made meaning of vocabulary learning through game-based classroom activities. Although game-based learning has been shown to support motivation, participation, and vocabulary retention, much of the existing research remains quantitative and provides limited insight into learners lived, emotional, and relational experiences. This study addressed this gap by examining how learners narrated their participation in vocabulary games across time, relationships, and the cultural context of the Japanese classroom. Guided by Dewey’s Theory of Experience and Clandinin and Connelly’s Narrative Inquiry framework, the study investigated learners’ stories through the dimensions of temporality, sociality, and place. Eight first-year learners were purposively selected as co-participants. Field texts were generated through narrative semi-structured interviews, written reflections, classroom conversations, researcher fieldnotes, and a dialogue-task reflection. These field texts were restoried and analyzed using the three-dimensional inquiry space, supported by thematic narrative analysis to identify recurring patterns, tensions, and turning points. The study provided an experience-based understanding of how learners’ prior encounters with English, peer interactions, teacher support, and cultural expectations shaped their confidence, engagement, and emerging identities as English users. Findings offered context-grounded insights for designing culturally responsive and motivating game-based vocabulary instruction in Japanese EFL classrooms.