Abstract
Fostering intercultural integration of students of diverse backgrounds is a key concern for design education. This study examines how design students at a culturally-diverse North American university perceive cultural inclusivity in their educational experience and effects on sense of belonging and integration. We surveyed 102 undergraduate and graduate students about expressing cultural identities in the design classroom, cultural inclusivity of learning materials, environment and interactions, and navigating challenging experiences in cross-cultural integration at the school. Although the study found a considerable level of cultural inclusivity, findings suggest that efforts to foster diversity and integration are still necessary, since difficulties seem to disproportionately affect international students – communication barriers, group work imbalances, critique sessions not inclusive, and learning materials that do not reflect global, multicultural perspectives. Based on the findings, we indicate areas for improvement and share recommendations on making design education more inclusive, equitable, and responsive to diverse student needs.
Keywords
design education; cultural inclusivity; international students; pedagogy
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2713
Citation
Sun, J., and Mouchrek, N. (2026) Design education in multicultural contexts: Student perceptions of cultural inclusivity in the classroom, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2713
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Design education in multicultural contexts: Student perceptions of cultural inclusivity in the classroom
Fostering intercultural integration of students of diverse backgrounds is a key concern for design education. This study examines how design students at a culturally-diverse North American university perceive cultural inclusivity in their educational experience and effects on sense of belonging and integration. We surveyed 102 undergraduate and graduate students about expressing cultural identities in the design classroom, cultural inclusivity of learning materials, environment and interactions, and navigating challenging experiences in cross-cultural integration at the school. Although the study found a considerable level of cultural inclusivity, findings suggest that efforts to foster diversity and integration are still necessary, since difficulties seem to disproportionately affect international students – communication barriers, group work imbalances, critique sessions not inclusive, and learning materials that do not reflect global, multicultural perspectives. Based on the findings, we indicate areas for improvement and share recommendations on making design education more inclusive, equitable, and responsive to diverse student needs.