Proceedings of The 6th World Conference on Future of Education
Year: 2023
DOI:
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Towards Decolonising Higher Education: A Case Study from A UK University
Dr. Nancy Tamimi, Emediong Jumbo, Hala Khalawi, Omar Torres Valencia, Mariama. A. Jallow
ABSTRACT:
We present initiatives undertaken by the Global Health & Social Medicine Department (GHSM) at Kings College London (KCL), exploring avenues to decolonise higher education institutions (HEI). We argue that a decolonised HEI should integrate anti-racism agendas, giving prominence to indigenous and marginalised histories, theories, and ways of knowing. Methods: During 2021, GHSM executed (1) A gap analysis of Undergraduate modules. (2) An internal workshop on decolonising curriculum and research methods. (3) A course on decolonising research methods taught by scholars from across the world to 40 Global South and North university students. (4) A public symposium on decolonising knowledge production hosting speakers from across the Globe. (5) Semi-structured interviews with 11 academics and a focus group with five students on decolonising HEI. Results: Gap analysis revealed a tokenistic representation of BAME, female, and non-binary authors, and an imbalance in gender and ethnic perspectives. Pre-course survey showed 88% have no or little confidence in their decolonising research knowledge. Post-course survey showed 68% strongly agreed the course enhanced their knowledge. Interviews and focus group revealed themes: (1) Decolonisation is about challenging colonial legacies, racism, and knowledge production norms; (2) Decolonisation is about care, inclusivity, and compensation; (3) A decolonized curriculum should embed anti-racism agenda and creative pedagogies; (4) HEI are colonial, exclusionary constructs and should shift to transformative and reflective ways of thinking and knowing. Conclusion: HEI should adopt anti-racism strategies that are transformative, representative of, and responsive to students, aiming at decolonising global knowledge, and fostering multi-directional learning and non-hierarchical environment.
keywords: Anti-Racism, Curriculum, Decolonisation, Pedagogy, Research Methods