A Scoping Review of L2 Studies Employing Q Methodology
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Abstract
This article presents a scoping review of research on learning and teaching a second or a foreign language (L2 research) that employed Q methodology. The main aim was to assess the published Q studies on language learners’ and language educators’ opinions and beliefs concerning a variety of personally and socially important issues. This review was implemented according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A search of three academic databases was conducted, namely, Academic Search Complete, Scopus, and Web of Science. Titles and abstracts of articles in these databases were subjected to the inclusion of the terms ‘Q methodology/Q method’, ‘language learning’, and ‘language teaching’. In total, 53 relevant articles published in English language peer-reviewed academic journals between the year 2013 and 2023 were analysed. We examined the geographical distribution of L2 studies that employed Q as well as the topics and key methodological decisions made by their authors. This scoping review found evidence of growing popularity of Q methodology among L2 researchers, particularly over the past 4 years. The published articles explored a wide variety of issues, including L2 motivation, language beliefs and novel for L2 research topics, such as boredom in the L2 classroom and language teachers’ moral distress. This scoping review concludes by considering implications for future development of L2 research employing Q.
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