Curriculum and Pedagogical Guidance

Summary

All items listed in the REAL resource bank were suggested by research participants of the ‘Exploring Race and Ethnicity on Social Science Degree Programmes’ project, or colleagues at University of Brighton, as resources they had found useful in their own teaching. They are not intended as definitive recommendations from the project team, and readers should make their own judgements as to which items would be most useful and appropriate for their needs. Similarly, the short summaries of each listed item are meant as approximate indicators rather than comprehensive synopses and should act primarily as a starting point for further exploration.

https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/anti-racist-curriculum-project/project-guide

The anti-Racist Curriculum Project Guide supports universities and colleges in embedding anti‑racist curricula. It offers 16 modular tools—from foundational concepts to planning templates—covering themes like allyship, language, student involvement and curriculum lifecycle change. It aims to help staff engage with race equality and curriculum reform.

Arshad, R. (2021) ‘Decolonising the curriculum – how do I get started?’. Times Higher Education, September 14.

The article outlines practical steps to begin decolonising university curricula, emphasising that it is an approach rather than a fixed model. It encourages inclusion of marginalised knowledge systems, diversifying reading lists, critically reflecting on colonial legacies, and creating opportunities for students to discuss racism, representation, and global perspectives.

Cane, T. (2021) ‘Attempting to disrupt racial division in social work classrooms through small-group activities’. The Journal of Practice Teaching and Learning, 18(1-2): https://doi.org/10.1921/jpts.v18i1-2.1554

This study explored how seventy-five BA and MA students at a London university experienced race and belonging during a seminar on protected characteristics. Despite inclusive teaching efforts, segregation and discomfort persisted. Findings highlight the need for reflective, disruptive learning spaces that encourage dialogue, challenge racial division, and support decolonised social work education.

Gill, S.S. & Worley, C. (2010) ‘“How did it go?” Negotiating race, racialisation and identity when teaching issues of race and equality in HE’. Enhancing Learning in the Social Sciences, 2(3): 1-28. https://doi.org/10.11120/elss.2010.02030004

Reflecting on a decade of classroom experience, Santokh Singh Gill and Claire Worley examine why teaching race and ethnicity in higher education is often sensitive and emotionally charged. They discuss how everyday interactions, lecturer positionality and students’ reactions shape learning, highlighting challenges around authenticity, conflict, racism and backlash, and outlining approaches for navigating these dynamics.

Gutman, L. M., & Younas, F. (2025) ‘Understanding the awarding gap through the lived experiences of minority ethnic students: an intersectional approach’. British Educational Research Journal, 51(2), 990-1008. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.4108

This study explores the UK degree awarding gap through the experiences of 14 minority ethnic undergraduate women, highlighting systemic biases, stereotyping, and exclusion. Leslie Morrison Gutman and Fatima Younas use an intersectional lens to capture students’ perspectives and strategies for fostering inclusion, equity, and addressing persistent disparities in higher education outcomes.

Harman, V. (2009) ‘Some reflections on the complexities of teaching about race in higher education’. In: Pilkington, A., Housee, S. & Hylton, K. (eds) Race(ing) Forward: Transitions in Theorising Race in Education. C-SAP, pp. 224-239.

Vicki Harman explores the complexities of teaching race in higher education, highlighting sensitive classroom dynamics, power relations, and the emotive nature of the subject. She emphasizes critical pedagogy, student engagement, and reflective dialogue, providing practical strategies and real-life examples to foster inclusive, safe, and thoughtful discussions that deepen understanding of race, discrimination, and social justice.

 Hollinrake, S., Dix, H., Hunt, G. & Boyd, C. (2025) ‘Lessons learned from teaching anti-racism on a social work course in England’. Social Work Education, Latest Articles. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2025.2483365

Based on qualitative research with social work students, the authors explore how anti-racism is taught and experienced within a social work degree in England. The study highlights both progress and persistent challenges, including white fragility, microaggressions, and the ongoing need to strengthen anti-racist teaching and learning.

Housee, S. (2008) ‘Should ethnicity matter when teaching about race and racism in the classroom?’ Race Ethnicity and Education, (11)4: 415-428. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613320802478960

Shirin Housee examines how lecturers’ and students’ racialised identities shape emotional dynamics when learning about race and racism. She shows how Black and white lecturers face different assumptions about loyalty, understanding and authority. Highlighting positionality, identity and power, the article argues for critical pedagogy that challenges whitearchy and centres inclusive, experience-based approaches.

Jacobs, S. (2006) ‘Interactional issues in the teaching of race and ethnicity in UK higher education’. Race Ethnicity and Education, 9(4): 341-360. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613320600957652

Drawing on interviews with lecturers and students, this article by Susie Jacobs examines why seminar discussions on race and ethnicity in UK higher education often become tense and emotionally charged. Conflicts commonly arise around Islamophobia, antisemitism, gender and nationalism, revealing how wider political dynamics and identity struggles shape classroom interactions.

Joseph-Salisbury, R., Ashe, S., Alexander, C. & Campion, K. (2020) Race and Ethnicity in British Sociology. British Sociological Association.

This report provides recommendations to advance racial equity in British sociology, including comprehensive data collection on staff and students, addressing BME under-representation, inclusive governance, embedding race and ethnicity in curricula, supporting anti-racist teaching, and promoting cultural shifts. It encourages mentoring, training, and systemic accountability to reduce structural inequalities in higher education.

 Khanna, N. & Harris, C. A. (2009) ‘Teaching race as a social construction: two Interactive class exercises’. Teaching Sociology, 37(4): 369-378. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X0903700405

Teaching race as a social construct challenges students’ assumptions that racial categories are natural. Two interactive exercises—sorting celebrities and applying the one-drop rule—demonstrate race’s arbitrariness and cultural variability. By engaging students visually and critically, these activities reveal the historical, social, and political foundations shaping racial classifications in the U.S.

Klesse, C. (2010) ‘Teaching on race and ethnicity: Problems and potentialities related to ‘positionality’ in reflexive and experiential approaches to teaching and learning’. Enhancing Learning in the Social Sciences, (2)3: 1-27. https://doi.org/10.11120/elss.2010.02030003

Christian Klesse explores the complexities of discussing race, ethnicity and racism in UK higher education. He highlights how classroom dialogue is shaped by students’ and teachers’ positionalities, everyday racism and unequal power dynamics. The article emphasises reflexivity, experiential learning and critical engagement with whiteness as essential for navigating these tensions productively.

 www.mmu.ac.uk/about-us/professional-services/uta/reducing-awarding-gaps/decolonising-the-curriculum-toolkit

This online toolkit offers practical guidance for university educators to decolonise curricula — identifying how colonial legacies shape knowledge, suggesting curriculum design changes, inclusive teaching strategies and resource audits. It’s designed to support closing awarding gaps and encourage reflection on whose voices and knowledge are represented.

Ng’andu, B., Adewumi, B. (2024) ‘Reflections on teaching and negotiating race in social work and sociology. In: Hensby, A. & Adewumi, B. (eds) Race, Capital, and Equity in Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 221-242. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51617-7_9

Bridget Ng’andu and Barbara Adewumi reflect on teaching race and ethnicity in sociology and social work, highlighting the emotional labour involved. Using storytelling and a critical race theory lens, they explore pedagogical strategies to avoid pathologising BAME, Black working-class, and international students, and examine how racial consciousness shapes interactions, guidance, and everyday teaching practices

O’Neill, S. (2025) ‘Racially minoritised students’ strategies for navigating and resisting racism in higher education’. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 48(5): 997-1018. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2024.2337047

Siobhan O’Neill examines how racially minoritised students in UK higher education navigate and resist institutional racism and whiteness. Highlighting their agency and resilience, the article challenges deficit narratives that frame these students as lacking capital and instead exposes how deeply institutional whiteness shapes academic life and everyday experiences in universities.

Pilcher, J. & Deakin-Smith, H. (2024) “‘That’s not my name’: Identity work by university students with minoritised names”. Equity in Education & Society, Online First. https://doi.org/10.1177/27526461251329380

Jane Pilcher and Hannah Deakin-Smith explore how university students with minoritised names navigate being misnamed by staff. Using qualitative data from English universities, they show how identity work is shaped by institutional whiteness and power relations, highlighting the emotional and social costs of misnaming and recommending more equitable naming practices in higher education.

Scottish Council of Deans of Education (2023) The National Anti-Racism Framework for Initial Teacher Education.

The Scottish Council of Deans of Education launched a National Anti‑Racism Framework for Initial Teacher Education to embed anti‑racist practice in teacher training. It supports staff to better serve Black and minority ethnic students, promotes racial literacy, and aims to improve recruitment, retention, and experience of diverse student teachers in Scotland.

Smith, H. J. & Lander, V. (2022) The Anti-Racism Framework for Initial Teacher Education/Training.

This framework provides a structured approach for embedding anti‑racist pedagogy in initial teacher education in England. It emphasises sustained curriculum change, reflective practice, and inclusive teaching strategies, supporting educators to address racial inequalities, develop cultural literacy, and equip future teachers to create equitable, anti‑racist learning environments.

 Smith, L., Kashubeck-West, S., Payton, G. & Adams, E. (2017) ‘White professors teaching about racism: challenges and rewards.’ The Counseling Psychologist, 45(5): 651-668. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000017717705

The authors examine the personal and professional challenges White professors encounter when teaching about race and racism. They discuss how social location, privilege, and prior multicultural training influence educators’ experiences, illustrating through examples how navigating sensitive content requires balancing student engagement, fostering critical dialogue, and managing personal vulnerability in social justice education.

 Tedam, P. (2013) ‘The MANDELA model of practice learning’. The Journal of Practice Teaching and Learning, 11(2): 60–76. https://doi.org/10.1921/jpts.v11i2.264

This article presents the MANDELA model, a new framework for engaging Black African social work students in England and Wales. Drawing on feedback from a practice educator and student, it examines the model’s strengths, challenges, and practical application, highlighting its African-informed perspective and relevance for inclusive, reflective social work education.

Walton, S., Shakir, S., & Barker, R. (2025) ‘Racism as systemic, endemic, and pernicious: some reflections on an anti-racist, critical pedagogic intervention in higher education’. Equity in Education & Society, Online First. https://doi.org/10.1177/27526461251360427

Reflecting on an anti-racist pedagogic intervention, Sean Walton, Syra Shakir, and Ricardo Barker argue that racism in higher education mirrors broader systemic inequities. Drawing on Critical Race Theory and related traditions, they emphasise the need for educators to foreground structural, historical, and political dimensions of racism to foster meaningful institutional change.

Weinzimmer, J. & Bergdahl, J. (2018) ‘The value of dialogue groups for teaching race and ethnicity’. Teaching Sociology, 46(3): 225-236. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X18767721

Julianne Weinzimmer and Jacqueline Bergdahl examine how small-group dialogue exercises enhance learning about race and ethnicity in sociology courses. Their study shows that students engaging in facilitated dialogues demonstrate deeper understanding of sociological concepts, increased willingness to discuss racism, and stronger commitment to promoting racial and ethnic equality compared with traditional instruction.