A Study of Cross-Cultural Learning in Higher Education of Pakistan

Abstract

This research analyzes the intricate aspects of learning dynamics across cultures in higher educational institutions of Pakistan using mixed methods. Data were gathered from 5 major universities. Within the 5 targeted educational institutions, 300 students and 50 faculty members were studied. Using structured questionnaires, the quantitative dimension of the research showed respondents’ moderately positive attitudes toward cross-culture learning (mean = 3.45, SD = 0.89) intersecting with intercultural contact and cultural awareness (r = .581, p < .01). The qualitative dimension of 30 in-depth interviews and accompanying classroom observations articulated three core themes: discomforting clustering in and around the same intercultural spaces, the dual-edge paradox of linguistic and cultural diversity, and the inconsistent facilitator role of teachers. Structural support and curriculum relevance were the main challenges, with the contradictory gap between the declared internationalization of the institutions and the implemented practices. The study found that while Pakistan university’s cultural diversity is enriching, the lack of organization and pedagogic awareness use leaves this potential still vastly unexploited. The present study aims to contribute to the developing field of cross-culture learning in Pakistan by addressing pedagogic and structural gaps that position diversity as a deficit, contrary to the potential benefits of diversity.