Decolonising the psychology curriculum: perspectives from faculty at a UK university

Over the past decade, there have been increasing calls to decolonise the Psychology curriculum. However, decolonisation initiatives have been criticised for being superficial and insufficient. In this study we explored Psychology faculty members’ perceptions and experiences with decolonisation at a UK university. Twenty participants engaged in semi-structured interviews, discussing views on higher education, current issues in Psychology, and decolonisation initiatives. Our analysis was grounded in social constructionism, decolonial theory, and critical pedagogy. We generated three themes through reflexive thematic analysis: (1) Evading accountability, (2) Systemic barriers, and (3) Embracing decolonial approaches. The first two themes highlighted deflections of responsibility, external constraints, and colonial conceptualisations of science. The final theme reflected an openness to decolonial ideas. Findings show that ‘white fragility’, neoliberal university practices, and Psychology’s positivist legacy present significant obstacles to curriculum decolonisation. Findings underscore the need for faculty development, collective accountability, and engagement with diverse knowledge systems.