The interface between Religious Plurality and Student Academic Performance: The case of St. Ambrose College of Education, Ghana

Adam Konadu ORCID iD, Margaret Makafui Tayviah ORCID iD, Nathan Iddrisu Samwini ORCID iD & George K. KyeremehORCID iD 

Issue: Vol. 12 No.7 2026 Issue Article 2 pp.275 – 289
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20261272 Published online 19th August 2026.
© 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Religious plurality is a defining feature of contemporary Ghanaian society and increasingly shapes life in educational institutions. This study examined how religious plurality influences academic performance at St. Ambrose College of Education in the Bono Region of Ghana. Using Pluralistic Theory, a qualitative case study design employed interviews, focus groups, and non-participant observation. Thirty-two participants, including students, student leaders, and lecturers, were purposively selected. The findings show that religious plurality is marked by peaceful coexistence, respect, and collaboration among students of different faiths. These interactions foster academic support, collaboration, integration, and psychological well-being, improving academic performance and student experience. Challenges such as stereotypes and occasional disruptions were noted but remained limited and did not affect campus harmony. The study concludes that, when well managed, religious plurality becomes an educational asset rather than a source of conflict. It contributes to scholarship by linking religious plurality to academic outcomes in Ghanaian teacher education and expanding the understanding of pluralism and student success within diverse and inclusive higher education learning environments in the Ghanaian context.

Keywords: Academic Performance, Higher Education, Interfaith Relations, Religious Diversity, Religious Plurality

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Adam Konadu (PhD) holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies with specialization in Interfaith Relations and Religion and Society from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He also holds a Master of Philosophy in Religious Studies from KNUST. He again holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education from the Catholic University of Ghana, all in Ghana. His research interests include the Comparative Study of Religion, Interfaith Relations, Religious Education, and Religion and Society. He is a Lecturer of Religious and Moral Education at St. Ambrose College of Education at Dormaa-Akwamu in the Bono Region of Ghana.

Margaret Makafui Tayviah (PhD) holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies with specialization in Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi. She also holds a Master of Philosophy and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Religious Studies from KNUST. She is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Religious and Human Development, KNUST. Her research areas include: Comparative Religions, Interfaith Relations, Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations.

Nathan Iddrisu Samwini (PhD) holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Studies from the University of Birmingham, UK. He is a Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies and Interfaith Relations. He is a former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and a former Head of the Department of Religious and Human Development at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He is also a Minister of the Methodist Church, Ghana and a past Bishop of the Tamale Diocese and currently the Superintendent Minister of the Nkoranza Circuit. He is currently the General Adviser of the Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa (PROCMURA) based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Kyeremeh K. George (PhD) holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi and a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counselling from Marist University, New York. His research interests have been in Religion and Mental Health and Religious Education. He is currently the Principal of St. Ambrose College of Education at Dormaa-Akwamu in the Bono Region of Ghana.

Konadu, Adam,  Margaret Makafui Tayviah, Nathan Iddrisu Samwini, and George K. Kyeremeh. “The interface between Religious Plurality and Student Academic Performance: The case of St. Ambrose College of Education, Ghana.” E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies 12, no.7 (2026): 275 – 289. https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20261272

© 2026 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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