Addressing awarding gaps
"To teach in varied communities not only our paradigms must shift but also the way we think, write, speak"
- Teaching to Transgress, bell hooks
About the toolkit
This toolkit has been developed to provide some background information on the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Awarding Gap at Manchester Met, and to share the good practice that has been done so far by colleagues across the institution.
This comprehensive toolkit is composed of three main sections:
- The Background and Research section gives an overview of the gap, outlining current research.
- The Intersectional Toolkit guides how to reduce the awarding gap section and provides some practical guidance that you can use in your teaching to help reduce the awarding gap.
- In the Collecting Good Practice section, we have a series of good practice videos, featuring staff from across the University.
Background and research
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The Awarding Gap
Recent research from AdvanceHE tells us that across the Higher Education sector, 24.3% of UK-domiciled students identify as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (AdvanceHE, 2020).
Furthermore, despite some progress across the HE sector, 68% Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students are awarded a first/2:1 compared to 81.4% of white students.
This 13% awarding gap has remained unchanged since 2017/18 across the sector.
The Office for Students has a Key Performance Measure (KM7) that tracks degree attainment by ethnicity. They have previously set the target to eliminate this gap in degree outcomes (1sts or 2:1s) between white students and black students by 2024-25, and to eliminate the absolute gap by 2030-31.
What do we mean by ethnicity?
In discussing these issues, choosing the right language to use can be difficult, being forgiving and supportive of each other is the best way we can make progress together.
Like Bhopal and Pitkin (2020) we use the term Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic ‘to refer to individuals from Black British, Black African, British Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi, Chinese and those from other non-White backgrounds, official terms used in the Census (2011). We are aware of the limitations of the term, particularly that these individuals are not a homogenous group, but it remains a useful designation in a field such as higher education in which White identities remain dominant’ (544).
However, to avoid further unhelpful homogenising of these diverse groups, we do not use an acronym for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic.
References
Kalwant Bhopal and Clare Pitkin (2020) ‘Same old story, just a different policy’: race and policy making in higher education in the UK, Race Ethnicity and Education, 23(4).
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Addressing the awarding gap
Addressing the Awarding Gap requires a whole institution approach (Nona McDuff). As such Manchester Met is currently working towards a Race Equality Charter (REC), and has in place an Access and Participation Plan (2020-2025) (staff only) and the First Generation scheme (staff only) at an institutional level.
Plus, the Inclusive Learning Communities project’s intranet page (staff only) provides an overview of the project’s objectives and activities. The page is regularly updated with information about our BAME Ambassador’s work and links to current activities taking place across the University which aim to eliminate the degree-awarding gap and increase Black, Asian and Minority ethnic students’ sense of belonging to the University. All staff with a passion for improving students’ experience are invited to share ideas and best practices at the project’s regular Community of Practice meetings.
There is also STRIVE100, led by Iwi Ugiagbe-Green, a Reader in the Faculty of Business and Law. STRIVE100 is underpinned by the African philosophy of #Ubuntu (‘I am because we are’) and celebrates difference and diversity. We focus on strengths and capabilities, surfacing STRIVERS’ values and potential. We want all STRIVERS to know that they matter and feel a sense of belonging within a learning community in which well-being is front and centre of everything that we do. STRIVERS will engage in a range of interesting and value-adding hybrid events covering personal and professional skills development, career planning and academic and study skills development.
STRIVERS will have the opportunity to do at least one virtual internship with a large graduate recruiter. Our talk about race forums offers a ‘safe’ space for STRIVERS (and others) to discuss racialised experiences. Our Tellin’ Stories feature introduces our STRIVERS to some amazing relatable role models. The life coaching and mentoring provided enable STRIVERS to set clear goals and receive expert support to achieve them! STRIVERS will also benefit from Peer-to-Peer (PAL) support, as well as 1:1 feedback on draft submissions/study plans and ongoing learner development support through our ACE workshops. Underpinning everything on the programme is well being, with spaces created in partnership with a charity called Hope, the multi-faith Chaplaincy and our well-being Ambassadors.
Research tells us that race equality gaps in degree-awarding are longstanding and persistent across higher education (TASO, 2021). Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic learners are less likely to achieve good honours which can impact student experience and harm graduate outcomes.
TASO has identified some key facts concerning this:
- The degree-awarding gap for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students varies between different ethnicities and within these broad ethnic groups. It also varies depending on whether a student studies full-time or part-time.
- The gap between black and white students is so significant that the Office for Students has developed a key performance measure to address this inequality.
- Some of the factors contributing to degree-awarding gaps are structural such as entry qualification, subject of study or age of students. However, once such factors are taken into account, data shows that there remain significant unexplained differences.
Reference: TASO, 2021.
A key area of consideration for staff is the experiences of learning and teaching as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. Whilst there have been significant advances, including the development of new skills and a greater variety of pedagogical practices. Some students may have found that this period has further exacerbated feelings of exclusion. This project from the Quality Assurance Agency gathered evidence from a number of institutions including Manchester Metropolitan undergraduate students of their perceptions of the quality of learning and teaching in the current context of the Covid-19 pandemic, with a focus on how these perceptions differ by ethnicity.
Further Resources
How ‘white fragility’ reinforces racism – video explainer, Robin DiAngelo
This short video defines the concept ‘white fragilty’, explains how it reinforces racism and offers practical guidance on how white people can challenge it by starting with themselves.
An excellent set of anti-racism resources from the University of Leeds.
AdvanceHE. 2020. Equality in Higher Education: Statistical Report 2020. Available at: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/equality-higher-education-statistical-report-2020
An Advance HE report offering a snapshot of the main equality challenges for staff and students as a step towards addressing them.
Quality Assurance Agency. 2021. Differing Perceptions of Quality of Learning. Available at: https://sites.google.com/port.ac.uk/qaa-bame-enhancementproject/home
This project collated undergraduate perceptions of learning and teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education. 2021. New research partnership: Impact of HE curriculum reforms on race equality gaps. Available at: https://taso.org.uk/news-item/new-research-partnership-impact-of-he-curriculum-reform-on-race-equality-gaps/
This TASO research partnership will evaluate the impact of changes to curricula on the BAME degree awarding gap.
Bhopal, K. and Maylor, U. eds (2014) Educational inequalities : difference and diversity in schools and higher education. New York, N.Y.: Routledge.
This edited book brings together authors from a range of international contexts to consider ideas of difference and diversity, specifically in relation to ‘race’, gender and class.
Bhopal, K. & Preston, J. (2011) Intersectionality and race in education. London: Routledge.
An edited collection exploring the experience of individuals oppressed by multiple inequalities throughout their education.
Delgado, R., Stefancic, J. and Harris, A. (2017) Critical race theory: an introduction. Third edn. New York: New York University Press.
An introduction to this key movement of activists and scholars, many with their roots in law and the US legal system.
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Manchester Met-Based Research
(Re)imagining a Dialogic Curriculum: Humanizing and Epistemically Liberating Pedagogies
Carmichael-Murphy, P. and Gabi, J. (2021) ‘(Re)imagining a Dialogic Curriculum: Humanizing and Epistemically Liberating Pedagogies.’ Race and Pedagogy Journal: Teaching and Learning for Justice, 5(2) pp 1-18. [Online] [Accessed 23rd August 2022] https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/rpj/vol5/iss2/4
Informed by Black feminist thought, this article is a call to action to university leaders to work in partnership with racialized and racially minoritized students to create the conditions for socially just change. The article demonstrates that authentic dialogue will expose the marginalization and systemic discrimination racially minoritized students experience and that it is these same students who are leading to a more equitable curriculum.
The wicked problem of B(A)ME degree award gaps and systemic racism in our universities
Ugiagbe-Green, I. and Ernsting, F. (2022) The wicked problem of B(A)ME degree award gaps and systemic racism in our universities. Front. Sociol. 7:971923.
In this article, our colleagues from Accounting, Finance and Banking in the Faculty of Business and Law, Iwi Ugiagbe-Green and Freya Ernsting evaluate the limitations of current quantitative approaches to such gaps by contextualising B(A)ME degree award gaps as a wicked problem. They then suggest the frameworks and narratives of Critical Race Theory as an alternative and end with a powerful call to action to all those involved in higher education provision!
Intersectional Toolkit: guidance on how to reduce the awarding gap
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Introduction
From a Teaching and Learning perspective, one way to address the Awarding Gap is to develop an Inclusive Curriculum (please see Inclusive Curriculum webpage).
It is worth remembering that lived experience is not lived in categories, but that we all have multiple facets to our identities and that as such individuals can be multiply marginalised and therefore also multiply privileged. One helpful model for thinking about the complexities of lived experience is ‘intersectionality’, a term that emerged from Black female scholarship, but that is primarily associated with the theorist Kimberelé Crenshaw (1989). Being open to having conversations with students about lived experience is another route to developing an Inclusive Curriculum.
Therefore our Intersectional Toolkit identifies strategies across the following areas:
- Communication
- Learning and Teaching Activities
- Assessment
- Anti-Racism in Action
In addition, an Award Gap Checklist is provided for programmes to identify their own practices against suggested approaches aimed at reducing the Awarding Gap.
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Award Gap Checklist
The checklist below can be used as a self-assessment tool in exploring your practice in relation to the topics above. We would encourage you to make this exercise a regular part of your unit and programme review.
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1. Communication
LANGUAGE
It is important to always use language that respects the identity of individuals and the diverse nature of the student cohort.
Consider the following:
Avoid the use of colloquialisms, jargon, and sarcasm.
Take care when using humour to avoid offending social and cultural sensitivities.
Use plain English throughout.
Try to use international examples rather than local/regional ones, unless these have been explained to all students.
MULTI-MODAL COMMUNICATION
Multi-modal communication means providing information in different forms to respect individual learning differences.
Example:
Provide verbal and visual reminders of a forthcoming assignment deadline. As well as providing helpful additional guidance such as a suggested timetable for completing assignment work with interim milestones and the final deadline indicated.
SPEAKING WITH YOUR STUDENTS
When speaking to students directly:
Repeat and/or paraphrase key discussion points and questions from students so that everyone in the group can hear what has been said: this is especially important when students ask questions during class, to ensure that others are clear about what has been asked before you respond.
Provide additional explanations where needed, using alternative examples to facilitate understanding and draw on material that is familiar to students (e.g. cultural and social references), relevant (e.g. relates to career aspirations), and makes links with their wider academic context (e.g. to the wider unit material, their programme).
Avoid direct questioning of individuals during classes and find alternative means to obtain contributions from students who might find public speaking difficult.
Provide sufficient time for students to process new information (this may include time to make notes), think about questions, and provide a response.
FURTHER READING
The following paper, by Dr Susan Smith from Leeds Beckett University, discusses student and staff experiences in relation to, amongst other areas, how we communicate with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students:
Smith, S., 2017. Exploring the black and minority ethnic (BME) student attainment gap: what did it tell us? Actions to address home BME undergraduate students’ degree attainment. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.14297/jpaap.v5i1.239
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2. Learning and Teaching Activities
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Provide learning outcomes for taught sessions that create opportunities for students with a wide range of educational, dispositional, circumstantial and cultural characteristics to succeed.
Learning outcomes for teaching sessions should be written in such a way that they are achievable by a diverse student body. They should provide opportunities for all students to learn, and demonstrate their learning in different ways, avoiding unintentional barriers.
Student engagement is known to improve when content has personal relevance, which may be in relation to career aspirations and motivations, or it may be achieved when there is some degree of familiarity with the material.
You can find out more information about writing effective learning outcomes here. The Inclusive curriculum toolkit also offers further supporting guidance.
MATERIALS
Curriculum subject matter, including examples and case studies, should be relevant, and where possible and appropriate, reflect a wide range of cultural and social perspectives encompassing the breadth of human diversity (e. g. social background, motivation, disability, age, language, religion, beliefs, and sexuality).
PLANNING
Adopt a multisensory approach to lectures, using a variety of methods (e.g. interactive whiteboards, PowerPoint, video, podcasts, a mixture of text and images, group discussions, role play).
- Explain concepts and information in multiple ways (e.g. explain text verbally, illustrate spoken ideas with graphics). This includes in-session announcements (e.g. tasks to complete for the following session, arrangements for fieldwork, assignment advice).
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Where appropriate, use learning activities to raise students’ awareness of diversity (e.g. through using subject-specific examples relating to people with particular characteristics).
Give students opportunities to practice developing the skills and knowledge necessary to complete a successful assignment (e.g. through formative learning activities).
FURTHER READING
The following paper, by Wong et al (2021), discusses the student understandings of the BAME Awarding gaps and reflects on how classroom culture, amongst other things, can impact upon this experience:
Wong, B., ElMorally, R. and Copsey-Blake, M., 2021. ‘Fair and square’: what do students think about the ethnicity degree awarding gap?. Journal of Further and Higher Education, pp.1-15.
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3. Assessment
Communicate assignment instructions very clearly and unambiguously. Care should be taken to ensure that students will be familiar with the language and terminology used (especially with regard to descriptors used in assessment criteria).
Where possible, provide assignment instructions in multiple formats and on multiple occasions.
Provide flexibility and choice in the subject matter for the assignment so that it is more relevant to the student, and therefore, more engaging, and more useful.
Consider building in flexible formats of submission. Design assignments where a student could submit in writing, or in audio/video (with relevant equivalencies for word counts), or where students could be assessed in groups.
Work through the UTA Assessment Design Toolkit to help you think through your assessments.
Students who find proofreading their own work should be encouraged to use the assistive technologies available on the university network (e.g. TextHELP). Faculty Student Support Officers are not expected to proofread students’ work (study skills support is concerned with skills acquisition, rather than correction).
You can find advice on assessments, learning outcomes and much more on the UTA Assessment webpages.
4. Anti-Racism in Action
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Decolonising the Curriculum in the Faculty of Science and Engineering
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School of Psychology Diversifying and Decolonising Toolkit
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Man Met Library Diversifying, Decolonising and Decanonising
This DtC Toolkit has been developed in liaison with the Faculty 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. The DtC Toolkit comprises the following elements:
- Guidance: Background, rationale and general principles for decolonising curricula, question prompts, suggested adaptations, and starter resources for decolonising your own curriculum design, teaching delivery methods, and curriculum content.
- Perspectives: Insights from the lived experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students, voices from student leadership, and narratives from academic staff on what decolonising means to them.
- Resources: An extensive bank of discipline-specific examples and opinion pieces, general articles, commentaries, external guidance, and a set of Frequently Asked Questions.
The resource features many universally useful resources, as well as discipline-specific resources in this area. The toolkit encompasses student and staff narratives, as well as extensive further reading and links to resources.
You can access the Toolkit here: Decolonising the Curriculum in the Faculty of Science and Engineering
Colleagues from the Department of Psychology have kindly shared a toolkit concerning diversifying and decolonising their curricula.
While there may be some examples specific to Psychology, this document offers lots to colleagues looking for concrete examples of such practices as well as reflexive prompts and links to other useful resources.
The attached checklist covers three key areas:
- Curriculum philosophy
- Teaching and Learning Methods
- Unit materials and resources
The toolkit contains practical steps as well as links to further reading and resources to aid your work. You can download the full document here: School of Psychology Diversifying and Decolonising Toolkit
Working with staff and students, Manchester Met Library have put together some resources to highlight a range of materials written by or about underrepresented groups.
This includes:
A featured Collection on Decolonisation
The team also recognise the importance of reading lists as a foundation for essays, assignments, and research generally. Texts and materials included on reading lists give the authors, their ideas, and discourse power and privilege over those that are not included - unintentionally or not.
They have therefore created A Reading List Diversity Audit Tool to support staff in reflecting on their reading lists.
Understanding the Awarding Gap
Understanding the Awarding Gap
This resource is designed to help you navigate the Degree and Awards good hours Power BI dashboard. Being able to use this dashboard will provide a more detailed view of what student groups need more support.The collective community
The Collective community
Working with LEED, The Collective will bring together academic and professional services colleagues from across the University who are working on addressing the Racial Equity gaps (Degree awarding gap). Click the link below and join our community.Collecting good practice
If you have worked on a project or programme evaluation around awarding gaps and would like to share your practice and resources with others, contact Dr Eileen Pollard.
We would love to populate this page with further examples of amazing work by colleagues from across Manchester Met, so get in touch!
Good Inclusive Practice: Bartek Buczkowski
Bartek talks through his approach to reducing the awarding gap across the provision in the Department of Health Professions.
