This article explores how the university campus climate influences students’ pluralism, that is, their positive engagement with religion and worldview difference. The data are drawn from a longitudinal survey of 1,000 university students in the United Kingdom (UK), surveyed twice during their university studies, in 2021 and 2022. Statistical analysis reveals that increases in pluralism are shaped by a perceived religiously diverse campus, safe spaces for spiritual expression, and provocative encounters which challenge students’ assumptions about their own, and others’, worldviews. Meanwhile, the analysis found that students who experience religion or worldview-related insensitivity or coercion at university are more likely to decline in their pluralism. Implications for higher education institutions are discussed in light of these findings.
Citation
Aune, K., Peacock, L., Rockenbach, A. N., Guest, M., & Mayhew, M. J. (online). How can universities support students’ interfaith learning? Findings from a longitudinal survey of students in the UK. Higher Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-025-01533-w
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