Progress towards inclusive curricula in Sport & Exercise Sciences

Abstract

A colonial curriculum is an inaccurate curriculum, characterised by an unrepresentative, inaccessible, and privileged nature. The School of Sport & Exercise Science undertook a student-led project in 2021 to; i) audit the undergraduate curricula of 3 programmes, ii) conduct focus groups with key stakeholders to further understand the complexities associated with integrating EDI into the curriculum in Sport and Exercise Science and, iii) utilise our findings to design a more accurate, more inclusive, and more interculturally responsive curricula.    

As a team, we discussed the notion of ‘creation of an inclusive curriculum’, as opposed to ‘decolonisation of the curriculum’, to improve the experience, skills, and attainment of all students, especially those in protected characteristic groups, by ensuring that all students, are able to fully participate and achieve at equal rates. This approach is very much aimed at reducing attainment gaps, such as the well proven ‘BAME attainment gap’, within the university by enabling all students to relate to and engage with academic material and assessments. This requires a diversification of module/programme design, delivery, and assessments. Whilst not specifically relating to the curriculum it also requires more diverse role models (including BAME individuals, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community and disabled people, plus intersectional representation) within academia itself.    

We hope that sharing our process, findings, philosophy and future plans we can inspire other colleagues to take similar action in their respective Schools and faculties.