Abstract
The study aimed to learn about students’ perceptions and experiences with diversity in higher education. There is a growing body of knowledge about diversity in higher education. However, more research is required into students’ perceptions of diversity in higher education institutions. As a result, the researcher conducted structured interviews with college students about their experiences and perceptions of dealing with diversity in their institutions. The participants agree that learning institutions have taken an essential step toward addressing diversity in the education sector. Participants were conflicted before pursuing their higher education experiences within society, but they appreciated the learning institutions’ efforts to address diversity. The participants were students because their experience was necessary for the study, and there were two. The study used a qualitative approach and thematic analysis to determine the perceptions and characteristics of participants. It found that higher education institutions had taken an important step toward addressing diversity.
Introduction
A culture that actively promotes and celebrates diversity produces better choices and answers. Increased diversity benefits a learning institution’s bottom line, and the doors it opens to limitless discoveries and game-changing innovations can only be good for the world at large. This report summarizes qualitative research on diversity in higher education by discussing the study’s findings and details the research methodology, including a thorough breakdown of the qualitative and thematic analyses used.
The wide range of resources available to faculty and learners best exemplifies the value of diversity in higher education. As a result, the student receives the best care and treatment while enrolled in the educational facility. Differences in ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, geography, and politics are all represented in the classroom, enriching the educational experience for all students (Jokela-Pansini & Wintzer, 2022). Harris (2019) suggests that higher education institutions improve their diversity by taking action, focusing on the retention of learners, observing organizational culture, offering flexibility, encouraging diversity at all levels, and choosing influential tutors. A learning institution with a diverse student body has access to a broader variety of life experiences and points of view, which puts it in a better position to realize its mission and achieve its objectives.
Several researchers have investigated the importance of diversity in universities, discovering numerous positive outcomes that result from a more inclusive learning environment culture. According to Brooks (2019), diversity is all about people’s differences, such as their history, character, and worldview. Each person’s ideology, perspective, and approach are the product of a distinct set of circumstances, as noted by Jokela-Pansini & Wintzer (2022). Scholars have studied diversity in higher education but have yet to focus on student perspectives. As a result, the study will fill in the gaps left by previous research by investigating how students conceptualize diversity. As a result, the research question that guided the research project was: How do students understand and experience diversity in higher education?
Methodology
The responses of two students who agreed to participate in the study were recorded and analyzed. As a result, the researcher could better understand students’ perspectives regarding diversity in higher education. When they arrived at their respective colleges, the two homosexuals who had previously delayed coming out in public did so. They came from various backgrounds, and their participation in the study was not chosen at random.
Throughout the study, all participants received care that followed all relevant ethical guidelines. They were kept up to date on any new information about the research, and their approval was constantly sought throughout the process. They were not forced to participate in the study but were informed that the information they provided could be used in the investigation. During the research, the participants’ real names were obscured and replaced with pseudonyms. Furthermore, participants were provided no financial or other incentives to encourage them to participate in the study. The in-depth interviews with each participant were recorded, and the verbatim transcripts were written. The recordings were carefully analyzed to facilitate writing the research paper and drawing conclusions regarding diversity in higher education.
The research used a qualitative approach and a thematic analysis. Qualitative research makes a deeper understanding of experiences, phenomena, and context possible, making it helpful in answering how and why questions (Gibbs, 2018). It enables the researcher to explore intangible facets of the human condition. The purpose of thematic analysis is to uncover and use overarching themes, such as significant or intriguing data patterns, to move the inquiry forward (Gibbs, 2018). In addition to summarizing the data, an excellent thematic analysis also provides insightful interpretation and clarification.
The data analysis was critical to the overall success of the study because it provided a foundation upon which to build conclusions. As a result, the researcher followed the steps in thematic analysis outlined by Braun and Clarke (2006) to ensure the findings’ authenticity and dependability, as described by Robinson (2022). The researcher spent a significant amount of time familiarizing herself with the data provided by the participants and making sense of the information gathered by coding each line individually. The detailed responses that respondents provided to the survey questions provided important information about respondents’ demographics as well as their perspectives on diversity in higher education.
Analysis and Discussion
The universities draw students from across the country, the continent, and the rest of the world. In his response, SL gives the impression that the amount of cultural and racial diversity at his university is more significant than at any other place of employment, educational environment, or institution he has ever visited. It is a prime example of the university’s efforts to foster diversity within its context. Harris claims that the diversity on campus is more significant than that found at other institutions (2019). TD mentions in his response that the University of East London’s (UEL) high rate of student crossover makes the university’s exchange programs with Chinese universities a significant contributor to the diversity already presents at the institution. Furthermore, the University of East London’s advantageous location in east London, a densely populated area with a diverse population, encourages different cultures and religions within the area, which significantly contributes to the learning institution’s diversity, according to The Daily Telegraph. As a result, the campuses are making significant strides toward enabling diversity by enrolling students from diverse backgrounds in their facilities.
Students that attend culturally and racially diverse higher education institutions have richer educational experiences than those who fail to attend diverse institutions. When students from various backgrounds attend the same educational institution and converse with one another, they can share their perspectives and gain a better understanding of the world’s diverse cultures. SL values the opportunity to meet people from various backgrounds, and he considers some of these people to be friends, even though he would not have had the opportunity to meet such people if he had not relocated to a more culturally diverse area and then attended a school that promotes diversity. TD, on the other hand, believes that educational institutions should embrace diversity when enrolling students and hiring staff to work in the facilities where they are located. According to TD, the various attributes brought by the diverse staff would help ensure a more diverse and well-managed institution. It is based on TD’s belief that it would be advantageous. Therefore, a more diverse learning institution would embrace diverse personalities and individuals across the board, including everyone from students to staff, and embrace all stakeholders without prejudice.
Participants generally had positive interactions with diverse individuals within educational institutions, demonstrating that the institutions are attempting to embrace diversity. TD, both gay and white, has had a generally positive experience with the diversity at the educational institution where he studies. He values the many different friends he has made on campus. These friends provide him with sound advice, which has helped him develop into a self-assured individual who can now openly acknowledge his homosexuality, which he had kept hidden before coming to school. On the other hand, SL acknowledges his institution’s diversity but admits that it falls short in some areas, such as making the environment accessible to people with disabilities. According to SL, the university is responsible for ensuring that all student and faculty welfare is addressed as soon as possible because it houses a large population of people from various backgrounds, each with its own needs that must be met. It does not imply that educational institutions have failed to ensure diversity within their institutions; rather, it indicates that new diversity challenges must be addressed to ensure peaceful coexistence among all stakeholders.
The research findings reveal that universities have come a long way in addressing diversity over recent years. The educational programs offered by these institutions have successfully recruited students from a more diverse range of backgrounds, and they continue to implement policies and practices that foster diversity. The participants value the multicultural environment of the universities they attend because it broadens their horizons and enables them to see beyond the stereotypes and assumptions they may have previously held. When it comes to embracing diversity, it is clear that institutions are moving in the right direction. However, they still need to remove the few remaining stumbling blocks to provide students with a truly enriching and diverse educational environment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the participants recognize the strides forward that have been made by educational institutions of higher learning in terms of embracing diversity. One of the best ways to illustrate the significance of diversity in higher education is to look at the wide variety of resources that are made available to both the teaching staff and the students. The presence in the classroom of individuals with varying political ideologies, ethnicities, races, genders, sexual orientations, geographical locations, and ideological perspectives contributes to enhancing the educational experiences of all students. The facilities offer the students a calm environment in which they can learn and excellent educational opportunities due to the school’s openness to students from different backgrounds. The last few barriers need to be eliminated before higher education institutions will be able to provide students with an educational environment that is truly enriching and diverse.
References
Brooks, R. (2019). Diversity and the European Higher Education Student: Policy influencers’ narratives of Difference. Studies in Higher Education, 45(7), 1507-1518.
Gibbs, G. (2018). Analyzing qualitative data (Vol. 6, Qualitative Research Kit). Los Angeles: SAGE.
Harris, M. S. (2019). An empirical typology of the institutional diversity of U.S. colleges and Universities. Innovative Higher Education, 45(3), 183-199.
Jokela-Pansini, M., & Wintzer, J. (2022). Practicing diversity in higher education in geography: Exploring spaces of diversity and their barriers in a geography department in Switzerland. The Professional Geographer, 1-13.
Robinson, O. C. (2022). Conducting thematic analysis on brief texts: The structured tabular approach. Qualitative Psychology, 9(2), 194-208.