Challenges for International Muslim Students in the Academic Environment

Cultural differences play an important part in the academic environment. It is often easy to overlook and may only become more obvious when we examine our own attitudes and behaviours and our students’ attitudes and behaviours. These explorations can be a wonderful opportunity to develop cultural understanding.

When teaching Muslim students there is an overlap between religion and culture. Often it is religion that we focus on when really we are dealing with cultural differences. It is helpful to remember that Islam is made up of many different ethnicities and cultures, so it can be difficult to generalise about many practices.

This resource recognises the overlap between religion and culture and offers suggestions for creating an inclusive teaching environment that encourages an openness to explore different ways of interacting.

Often in an attempt to be culturally sensitive, and trying not to do the "wrong thing", it is easy to lose confidence in talking openly about the issues that get in the way of a good learning environment.

This resource has three main parts:

• Understanding the challenges for International Muslim students
• Some ideas for building an inclusive academic environment
• Understanding Muslim beliefs and practices in relation to health issues

You may also download a printable version of Challenges for International Muslim Students in the Academic Environment.
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