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Embedding Decolonisation into the Curriculum: Decolonising Biological Sciences Research Workshop

What Did Students Think?

• They considered the content relevant to biological sciences students 4.25/5
• Students considered their knowledge and understanding of the topic to have increased 100%
• There was some confusion with the positionality activity
• Majority of students felt comfortable discussing the topics 86%, though some felt uncomfortable.

When asked the most important parts of the session, answers mostly related to:

• Peer discussions and seeing other viewpoints
• Working through scenarios
• How decolonisation fits into the context of biology

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Focus Groups on the Experience and Views of International and Global Ethnic Majority Students

2023-2024 Academic Year - BILT Education Development Project

During the 23-24 Academic Year, our Student Decolonisation Partners Keisha Santoso an Jessie Yueng facilitated a focus group for international students and students of colour, providing a much-needed space for these groups to share their experiences and perspectives on the support and representation they receive within the School. Findings and subsequent recommendations are captured in a report which will be present to relevant school committees to implement suggested changes. The student partners also directly engaged with multiple unit directors, and with our student society, to suggest and advocate for changes in a decolonising effort.

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A Staff-Eye-View of Decolonising the Curriculum - Summer 2022

2021-2022 Academic Year - School of Biological Sciences Teaching Innovation Project 2022

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Student Decolonisation Partners

2021-2022 Academic Year - BILT Education Development Project

This BILT Education Development Project continued efforts to decolonise the curriculum within the SBS by appointing two Student Decolonisation Partners, supervised by Dr Dave Lawson and Dr Celine Petitjean. Our student partners, Kamara Venner and Sophia Saleki each spent on average 4 hours per week during teaching weeks to undertake a set of tasks which contribute to the School’s wider decolonisation efforts. These tasks were organised around the three aims of the project and include:

Representation

• Acting as a point of contact for undergraduate students to raise concerns, make suggestions and advertise/introduce the project and their role. 
• Liaise with academic staff (EDI Committee, Student Staff Liaison Committee, etc)
• Organise meetings for students around decolonisation questions to open the dialogue and offer a safe space.

Research

• Continuing the curriculum content analysis building on the research outcomes from the Decolonising the Curriculum project undertaken in May-June 2021.
• Building a robust and reproductible method of analysis of student and Staff Data (e.g. differential staff data regarding award gaps, representation, recruitment, between different ethnic groups). This work can be the foundation for a yearly monitoring of the SBS progress.
• Run focus groups/discussion spaces for individual year groups to engage with student voice and with academic staff to engage them in the decolonisation process.
• Run surveys to students and staff at the beginning and end of the academic year to assess the awareness, engagement and progress of the whole SBS population towards a more diverse curriculum. This work will be the foundation for a yearly monitoring of the SBS progress.

Engaging beyond the school

• Liaising with other students, researchers or partners involved in decolonisation projects across the Faculty, University and Externally.
• Liaising with other decoloniality working groups such as the Faculty of Life Sciences Decolonising the Curriculum working group.

Summer 2021 Student-led Curriculum Developer Project

In the summer of 2021, five Student Curriculum Developers where tasked with reviewing taught content in the school of biological sciences, researching areas for improvement and gauge opinions of decolonisation-related topics through staff and student surveys.

The Student Curriculum Developers

• Imogen Chakrabarti (Student Supervisor)
• Adelaide Henderson
• Cecilia Orr
• Kamara Venner
• Makindye Ketley

Academic Leads: Dr David Lawson and Dr Celine Petitjean

 

Report Abstract

The following report details the findings of a student-led project to contribute to the decolonisation and diversifying of the curriculum in the University of Bristol School of Biological Sciences. Within the project, student partners undertook content reviews of mandatory and optional units available within the school at undergraduate level, alongside collection of data through surveys to gauge the opinions of staff and students surrounding decolonisation and related topics. Content reviews identified several opportunities to discuss and acknowledge colonial narratives and diversify perspectives in the subject areas such as taxonomy, conservation and ecology, and evolution and genetics. Student surveys also revealed a mix of opinions and degrees of understanding of decolonising the curriculum, with the majority of students recognising its importance and some differences between year groups. Student responses noted that related topics are already discussed in multiple units already, but more discussion was necessary. Staff surveys identified and general lack of confidence and experience related to diversifying and decolonising unit content, but a willingness to learn more. This project shows that there is more work to be done, but we hope the project contributes to an ongoing conversation of decolonisation with the school and encourages future dialogue between staff and students.