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Description
This study explored how Japanese secondary school teachers in a small city support linguistically diverse students, focusing on their practices and self-efficacy. Responses from twenty-seven teachers revealed factors influencing the success of linguistically diverse students. The quantitative results showed that a majority of teachers reported intermediate self-efficacy, although the qualitative results indicate a reliance on support staff and external resources. Teachers in Japan felt less personal responsibility for integrating linguistically diverse students into their classrooms.
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
Quantitative findings showed that most teachers reported intermediate self-efficacy, with few reporting high levels. However, qualitative findings revealed substantial reliance on bilingual support staff, translation technologies, and pre-translated materials. Many teachers placed responsibility for integration primarily with specialists rather than subject teachers. These findings suggest that while structural supports exist, stronger professional development and a deeper emphasis on culturally responsive pedagogy are necessary to enhance both teacher efficacy and linguistically diverse students’ academic integration and social belonging.
Abstract section 5: References
Ager, A. & Strang, A. (2008). Understanding integration: a conceptual framework. Journal of Refugee Studies, 21(2), 166-191. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fen016
Bandura, A. (1998). Personal and collective efficacy in human adaptation and change. In J. G. Adair, D. Bélanger, & K. L. Dion (Eds.), Advances in psychological science, Vol. 1. Social, personal, and cultural aspects (pp. 51–71). Psychology Press/Erlbaum (UK) Taylor & Francis.
Ishida, K., Nakamuro, M., Takenaka, A. (2016) The Academic Achievement of Immigrant Children in Japan: An Empirical Analysis of the Assimilation Hypothesis, Educational Studies in Japan, 10, 93-107, https://doi.org/10.7571/esjkyoiku.10.93
Okuyama, H. (2019, May 6). 10,400 foreign kids lack Japanese language education amid instructor shortfall. The Mainichi. Retrieved from https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190506/p2a/00m/0na/016000c
Saki, A. M. (2021) Stories of deficiency, disparity, and disconnect: Challenges of supporting language minority students in Japan. Bulletin of Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Art, 38. 158-183. https://doi:10.15020/00002187
Abstract section 1: Relevance
As Japan experiences demographic change due to increasing migration, secondary schools are facing new challenges in supporting students whose first language is not Japanese. This research project, conducted for a Global Education Master’s program, examines how educational policies and classroom practices influence the integration of non-Japanese speaking students in secondary schools within Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. Although Japan has long framed itself as a nation that prioritizes social harmony and ethnic homogeneity (Ishida et al., 2016; Saki, 2021), recent increases in foreign residents have resulted in thousands of linguistically diverse students lacking adequate language and academic support (Okuyama, 2019).
Abstract section 3: Content/method
A mixed-methods case study was conducted using Bandura’s (1998) framework on self-efficacy and Ager and Strang’s (2008) framework on integration. Data was collected through document analysis of national and local guidelines, a 20-item self-efficacy questionnaire completed by 27 teachers, and three semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequency distributions and regression analysis, while qualitative data were coded thematically using the integration framework.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
RQ1: What is the self-efficacy of in-service teachers when teaching linguistically diverse students? RQ2: What resources do teachers perceive as indispensable for integrating linguistically diverse students into schools? RQ3: How do teachers help linguistically diverse students develop a sense of belonging within the school community? RQ4: How do teachers manage language barriers between themselves and linguistically diverse students? RQ5: To what extent do teachers acknowledge the cultural backgrounds of linguistically diverse students?
| Title | Supporting Linguistically Diverse Students in Hyogo, Japan |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | Junior/senior high-school |