CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING PRACTICE IN JAPANESE UNIVERSITIES: A SCOPING REVIEW

Abstract

In recent decades, the internationalization of higher education in Japan has attracted a large number of international students, thereby increasing the need for culturally responsive teaching. This paper analyzes such culturally responsive teaching practice in Japanese universities from two perspectives: (i) policies and programs promoting the internationalization of higher education; and (ii) the implementation of culturally responsive teaching in Japanese universities. The findings show that Japan has made considerable progress through policies that integrate multicultural elements into higher education, particularly in English-based bachelor training programs and global education initiatives. However, the implementation remains largely superficial, fragmented, and hindered by rigid institutional structures, a lack of support mechanisms for faculty, and a tendency to favor assimilation over fostering intercultural integration. Japan’s higher education system continues to face numerous barriers to fully and systematically implementing culturally responsive teaching, including the absence of standardized national guidelines, uneven language proficiency among faculty, and limited opportunities for professional development in this area.