Context

This project evaluates previous Decolonising the Curriculum (DtC) initiatives at the University of Bath and explores how curriculum design supports students' sense of belonging. This evaluation contributes to the University's wider work on inclusive education and supports the aims of the Access and Participation Plan (APP).

Research across the UK higher education sector shows that when students see themselves represented in the curriculum, experience inclusive assessment practices and engage in critical dialogue, they report higher levels of trust and stronger relational belonging.

At Bath, decolonising curriculum activity has taken place across faculties, programmes and student-led initiatives. We intend to map this activity to further support the development of an institutional approach and inform future work, including developing foundational questions to inform a future Decolonising the Curriculum Toolkit.

Evaluation Questions

• How effective have previous decolonising curriculum initiatives at Bath been in supporting students' sense of belonging?

Methodology

This project adopts a qualitative, realist evaluation approach to explore how curriculum design supports students' sense of belonging in different contexts.

Data will be drawn from curriculum documentation, existing student survey data, institutional reports and sector literature, alongside qualitative insights from selected interventions. Analysis will involve:

• Identifying key curriculum features relevant to belonging
• Examining how these features operate across different disciplines and institutional contexts
• Developing context-mechanism-outcome explanations to describe patterns of belonging
• Refining findings through comparisons across programmes and sector case studies

The focus is on curriculum features that the University can realistically influence, while avoiding over-claiming impact. The project will:

• Examine how DtC initiatives at Bath emerged and developed
• Review sector approaches to decolonising the curriculum
• Inform the development of guidance to support future practice

Type of evaluation evidence

Using the OfS standards of evidence this project will produce Type 2 (empirical evidence)

Published report

At the end of the project timeline, a report will be published on this webpage.