Measuring and Indicators of Multiculturalism Practices and Perceptions of Students in the Islamic Religious Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

 This study aimed at measuring and getting put forward the survey indicators of  the multiculturalism practice. It measured the students’ perceptions of the State Higher Education for Islamic Studies towards multiculturalism, which includes some indicators; attitudes and interests in multicultural insights, ethnic diversity, culture, language, and religion. A quantitative approach was applied to survey and measure the students’ perceptions of multiculturalism. It involved 25,897 populations in North Sumatra from 3 campuses; the North Sumatra State University for Islamic Studies, Padangsidimpuan State Institute for Islamic Studies, and Madina State College for Islamic Studies. The size of samples is 1,289 students (5% of the population). After survey conducted the data obtained showed that the students of the State Higher Education for Islamic Studies in North Sumatra had a positive perception of multiculturalism, with the average score was 78.32. The average values of attitudes and interests in multiculturalism was 76.23, the perceptions of ethnic diversity was 75.69, the perceptions of cultural diversity was 81.56, the perceptions of language diversity was 81.34, and then the perceptions of religious diversity was 76.77. It concludes that the students' perceptions of culture and language turned into higher average than perceptions of ethnicity and religion. The result of analysis indicates the issue of ethnicity and religion has greater potential to bring about conflict and disintegration of the nation, and then there were 24.31% negative perceptions of ethnic issue and 23.23% negative perceptions of religious issue.