Abstract

Recent studies have emphasised the role of faculty development in decolonising curricula. For instance, Bhambra (2014; 2018) and Gu (2020) advocate for pedagogical strategies that move beyond Eurocentric knowledge systems, emphasising the need for diverse epistemologies in education. Additionally, research by Glowach et al. (2022) has highlighted how podcasts and other multimedia tools have supported staff learning and engagement with complex decolonial concepts. This work is consistent with the broader movement to create more inclusive educational environments that challenge traditional power structures in academia.
This presentation will outline ongoing work to develop staff knowledge and training on decolonisation and decoloniality within higher education institutions. The focus has been on creating a practical toolkit designed to aid staff in understanding and implementing decolonial approaches in their teaching and curriculum design. Following the development of this toolkit, I am now in the process of putting it into practice, providing various resources to support staff, including podcasts, workshops, and one-to-one training sessions. These initiatives aim to reshape modules, ensuring they are inclusive, reflective of globalised and often historically missed-out perspectives, and sensitive to historical and systemic inequities.

The data collected for this work primarily comprises qualitative feedback from staff participating in workshops and testimonials from module leaders who have engaged with the toolkit. This data highlights the positive impact of the toolkit in promoting a more inclusive curriculum, encouraging staff to critically assess their teaching methods, and fostering a deeper understanding of decoloniality in higher education contexts.

This presentation is particularly relevant to the conference theme of "Collaborations between disciplines for Inclusive Education," as the toolkit and its implementation support cross-disciplinary engagement. The work has shown the value of applying decolonial principles across a range of subjects and teaching practices, with implications for international applicability in global education contexts. Research highlights the importance of decolonising knowledge and curricula to address historical and contemporary inequities (Mignolo, 2018; Bhambra et al., 2018). Furthermore, this work aligns with recent literature on the integration of EDI practices in curriculum design, which suggests that decoloniality can lead to more inclusive, equitable, and globally relevant educational experiences (Mignolo, 2018; Kapoor, 2024).

By demonstrating the practical implementation of decoloniality and the support available for staff, this presentation contributes to a wider conversation about the role of education in transforming both institutional practices and broader societal structures. Through this approach, I argue that decolonisation is an ongoing, collaborative process that can be adapted to various disciplinary contexts and international settings (Ndlovu-Gatsheni, 2018). In this regard, the decolonial approach to teaching aligns with critical pedagogy's call to resist hegemonic educational systems and promote practices that are more reflective of diverse histories, cultures, and epistemologies (Freire, 1970; Giroux, 2005).