The Influence of Cultural Diversity on the University Students of Bangladesh

Abstract

This study aimed to provide the first quantitative evidence on how cultural diversity influences communication, creativity, and learning outcomes of university students of Bangladesh. The study also aimed to offer strategies for fostering inclusive environments in Bangladeshi universities. Following a survey-based cross-sectional research design, this quantitative study combined descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, annotation analysis, and methodological triangulation with qualitative thematic analysis. Firstly, the correlation analysis indicated that all three student outcomes, communication, creativity, and learning outcomes, are negatively correlated with both the perceived and measured diversity index. Particularly, a highly statistically significant negative correlation was identified between perceived diversity and communication skills among the students. This indicates that students who viewed their campus as more culturally diverse reported slightly lower communication scores. Secondly, the annotation analysis revealed that most of the students recognize the value of cultural diversity in enhancing their communication, creativity, and learning outcomes. Methodological triangulation with qualitative responses aligned with the quantitative findings by highlighting “communication and language barriers” as the most frequently reported barrier. Together these findings suggested that students across all three universities reported challenges while interacting with diverse peers on campus, especially communication challenges, despite recognizing the importance of diversity on campus. Thus, the findings of this study call for three comprehensive policies to integrate systematic inclusion programs in Bangladeshi universities that will help students translate diverse experiences on campus into academic and social growth.