Decolonising the Curriculum Toolkit
This Decolonising the Curriculum Toolkit has been developed in liaison with the Faculty of Science and Engineering Narrowing the Awarding Gaps Task Group, and aims to support academic staff in Science and Engineering in the process of reviewing and decolonising their teaching.
Introduction to the Toolkit
Decolonising the Curriculum (DtC) is about identifying, acknowledging and challenging the ways in which colonialism has impacted upon perceived knowledge and learning. It is not about deleting existing knowledge or history, but about embracing knowledge systems outside of typical western understanding, and which have hitherto been ignored. Decolonising is integral to an inclusive curriculum, and seeks to both recognise and address the legacies of disadvantage, injustice and racism that have arisen from historic global domination by ‘The West’, and the consequent inherent ‘whiteness’ of our STEM disciplines.
This DtC Toolkit has been developed in liaison with the Faculty of Science and Engineering Narrowing the Awarding Gaps Task Group, and aims to support academic staff in Science and Engineering in the process of reviewing and decolonising their teaching.
Guidance
![""](https://www.mmu.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/16_9_two_column/public/2022-02/34450169.png?h=b8aa45f6&itok=S5Lduq3c)
Guidance
The Guidance provides background, rationale and general principles for decolonising curricula, and uses question prompts, suggested adaptations, and starter resources to support you through the process of decolonising your own curriculum.Perspectives on Decolonising
Stories From Scholars
Eight academic colleagues from across the Faculty of Science and Engineering provide an honest and reflective narrative on their understanding of decolonising curricula. These anonymised accounts address questions including how and when they first heard about decolonising, their thought processes around that, whether the concept resonated with their personal experience or observations, and why they think decolonising is important in Higher Education. They consider how they might begin to decolonise their own teaching and if there are any particular opportunities or challenges for their discipline. Some accounts also highlight practical advice and examples, plus any recommendations for reading materials that have shaped their learning.
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Voices of Student Leadership
Articles* from current and previous student leaders within MMU Student Union and the Manchester Met B.A.M.E. Ambassador Scheme.
*These articles are all published elsewhere, and links are provided within each item to the original source.
Articles 1 & 2
#1 Letitia Jones (MMUnion President): Covert Racism and Black Erasure in the UK.
#2 Shuab Gamote (BAME Ambassador Project Coordinator): BAME Students - You Are Not Alone.
Articles 3 & 4
#3 Ishaa Amin (BAME Ambassador): 5 Phrases About Race That We Should All Know.
#4 Lucy Follon and Mehedi Kuraishy (MMUnion): Building the Anti-Racist Classroom.
Articles 5 & 6
#5 Sabaah Ahmed (Black Student Group): What Islamophobia Awareness Month is All About.
#6 Savannah Middleton (MMUnion): What I learnt during Islamophobia Awareness Month.
Diary of a Bame Student
Between October and December 2021, fourteen self-selecting first year students from three departments in the Faculty of Science and Engineering volunteered to keep a weekly diary for a period of six weeks. They were asked to write about all aspects of student life; study, accommodation, home life, work, relationships, finances…etc., and the primary purpose was to gain a rich insight into the lived experience of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students in their first few weeks at Manchester Metropolitan University. Watch the videos below (c.2.5 mins) to hear narrated diary extracts around eight key themes. You can also read a EuroSoTL 2022 Conference Paper by Nicholson et al. (2022) exploring links between Stories from Scholars and the BAME Student Diary Project outcomes.
It truly has been a pleasure taking part in this project. Just knowing that a force within my university aims to enhance my experience and people like myself to a point of clear equality is itself, enormously encouraging.
![""](https://www.mmu.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/16_9_two_column/public/2022-02/MMU_MAR2020_2307.jpg?h=de91bdeb&itok=RRniLssS)
Diary of a BAME Student
Watch Diary of a BAME Student on MMUTube.Supporting Resources
Maths: Five Ways Ancient India Changed the World
Towards Decolonising Computational Sciences (Guest and Birhane 2009)
Reflections on Decolonising the Computing Curriculum (Dimitriadi 2021)
Yes, Mathematics Can Be Decolonised. Here’s How to Begin: The Conversation
A Brief Introduction to Decolonial Computing (Mustafa 2016)
Geography, ‘Race’ and Whiteness: Invisible Traditions and Current Challenges
Biological and Env Science at LJMU: Decolonising The Curriculum
Decolonising Geographical Knowledges: Themed Journal Issue On Decolonising Geography
Steps Towards Decolonising the School Geography Curriculum
Geology Uprooted! Decolonising the Curriculum for Geologists
The Missing Colours of Chemistry (Summary of Key Points Below)
Extended Summary of Key Points from The Missing Colours of Chemistry (Menon 2021). Academic chemistry is overwhelmingly white. This powerful article from Nature Chemistry explores the role of historic systemic racism in institutions, presenting inequality data and citing numerous overlooked individuals. Although directed at chemistry, the paper contains many general arguments and principles that are relevant to all STEM disciplines.
Teaching Geoscience History in Context: Earth and Space Science News
“The Why and the White”: British Geography Racism and Curriculum Reform
Ecology and Evolution (PDF): Applying a Decolonial Framework to Teaching and Research
Disentangling Anti-Blackness from Physics: Personal Experiences of a Black Student
Extended Summary of Key Points from Disentangling Anti-Blackness From Physics (Brown 2020). A look into the personal experience of a former Black student at Yale University who began to question his sense of belonging within the realm of physics.
Decolonising the Engineering Curriculum in South African University of Technology
How the West Was Won: A Deconstruction of Politicised Colonial Engineering
Teaching About Race and Racism on a Sport and Popular Culture Module
Decolonizing Sport and Exercise Psychology Within a European Context
Race and Racism in the Sociology of PE and Sport: White Privilege, Empathy and Alterity in HE
How Sports Science in Africa Can be Taught and Thought About Differently
From Inclusion to Transformation to Decolonisation: With Examples from Sport Studies
Extended Summary of Key Points from Inclusion to Transformation to Decolonisation (Arshad 2021b). This includes a small section exemplifying how different subject areas, including sports studies, have developed an anti-racist curriculum.
Many Faces of Sports and Exercise Sciences at Manchester Met
Decolonising the Curriculum: How Do I Get Started?
Science Curricula Must be Decolonised Too
Decolonising the Curriculum: Sharing Ideas Podcast Series
How Not to Decolonise Your Curriculum: Guidance, Traps to Avoid
Students as Partners in Decolonising the Curriculum
Inclusion to Transformation to Decolonisation: Showcase
Decolonising Research Processes: Literature Searches (Biggs 2020)
Decolonisation of the Curriculum: A Conversation
In What Ways Are STEM Subjects Colonised?
Covert Racism and Black Erasure in UK: Video (25min)
Coloniality Is Far from Over: And So Must Be Decoloniality
Scholars from the Global South: Must Be Helped to Make a Splash
Dismantling Race In HE: Racism and Whiteness
Decolonise Science: Time to End Another Imperial Era
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report MMU (2019-20)
Wall of BAME (Univ Sheffield): Celebrating Success of BAME
B.A.M.E. Student Attainment Data: Closing the Gap
Black History Month: Featuring Successful Black Scientists
Extraordinary Work of Black Environmentalists (Carbon Literacy Project)
Decolonising and Diversifying Reading Lists: MMU Library
1001 Inventions: Cultural Roots of Science and Technology
The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children
OVERLOOKED AND PROBLEMATIC INDIVIDUALS (FROM UNIV. SHEFFIELD)
Overlooked / Excluded Individuals in Science (University of Sheffield)
Problematic Key Individuals in Science (University of Sheffield)
LANGUAGE AND TERMINOLOGY IN EDI (EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION)
Why It’s Time To Retire Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (Wonkhe October 2021)
A Statement on Eradicating the Use of the Term BAME (Belgrade Theatre)
DECARBONISING AND DECOLONISING CURRICULA
Linking Decarbonising and Decolonising: Notes from Students Organising for Sustainability Workshop
![""](https://www.mmu.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/16_9_two_column/public/2022-02/34450122.png?h=b8aa45f6&itok=L2mm9YUi)
PDF of all sources and citations
Links, Sources and Citations for all resources in this section.Frequently Asked Questions
The need for change bulldozed a road down the centre of my mind.
Feedback and Queries
If you have any feedback on this Toolkit, or suggestions for additional resources please contact Dr Theresa Nicholson at d.nicholson@mmu.ac.uk.
For any enquiries about Decolonising the Curriculum please contact a member of the Faculty of Science and Engineering Narrowing the Awarding Gaps Task Group.