Intercultural education in university teacher education: a systematic review of identity, curriculum, pedagogical experience, and professional competence

Background University-based teacher education increasingly addresses cultural and linguistic diversity, although distinct theoretical constructs and forms of evidence are sometimes interpreted as equivalent indicators of intercultural competence. Objective This qualitative systematic review examined how empirical studies published between 2021 and 12 August 2026 describe intercultural formation in initial university teacher education, particularly situated professional judgment. Methods The review originated as an integrative review and was retrospectively converted to a systematic design. Authenticated searches in Scopus and Web of Science identified 898 records; 264 duplicates were removed. A documented post-hoc amendment restricted eligibility to English-language empirical studies involving pre-service teachers, an identifiable formative exposure, and a direct intercultural or cultural-linguistic outcome. The revised criteria were applied to the earlier corpus and the database audit. Forty-one studies met the final criteria. Findings were synthesized across conceptual traditions and weighted according to methodological appraisal. Results Four domains recurred: identity and positioning, curricular continuity, critically mediated experience, and competence/assessment. Intercultural preparation was more convincing when identity reflection was linked to sustained curricular opportunities, guided encounters, and assessment of responses to situated pedagogical problems. The conceptual traditions remained distinct rather than interchangeable. Conclusion The evidence supports coherent program design and assessment aligned with intercultural professional judgment, but does not establish whether measures obtained during preparation predict graduates’ subsequent classroom practice. Systematic Review Registration https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23242737 .