Comparisons across higher education contexts: findings from collaboratively adapting an interfaith diversity study

Journal article

Understanding campus climates for interfaith learning in higher education supports universities in achieving their missions of producing global leaders and ensuring equitable access and experiences of campus life for students of diverse religious and nonreligious worldviews. The Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey (IDEALS) was a mixed-method study designed to explore these issues in the United States; recently, UK researchers collaborated with US principal investigators to collaboratively adapt IDEALS to the UK higher education environment. First, using the interfaith learning and development framework as a guide, the authors outline what important aspects of the national and institutional contexts the adaptation process considered. Second, the relational aspects of interfaith learning were explored across contexts using a multiple case study approach, which resulted in cross-context assertions about how students in both countries perceived their campus climates, engaged across worldview differences, and encountered insensitivity about worldviews during their university experience.

Authors: Bowling, RL; Staples, BA; Mayhew, MJ; Rockenbach, AN; Guest, M

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Journal: Comparative Education Review
• Volume: 70
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 43-68
• Publication date: 2026-02-11
• Acceptance date: 2025-10-27
• DOI: 10.1086/739361
• EISSN: 1545-701X
• ISSN: 0010-4086
• Language: English
• Keywords: US; UK; international; higher education; worldview; religion; spirituality; diversity