Exploring staff and student perspectives on decolonising the biological sciences curriculum

Responding to recent calls to decolonise the curriculum in higher education in the UK and beyond, this paper presents a reflexive account of the decolonising work undertaken within the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Bristol, following a collaborative student-staff approach. Situating ourselves as learners and not experts in this process, we present the findings from student and staff focus groups after completing an online questionnaire on decolonising and diversifying the curriculum, alongside the suggested next steps for our decolonising efforts that these findings encourage. Although the curriculum is recognised as an important site for transformation, our findings highlight the need for more holistic approaches to decolonising that go beyond the curriculum and do not shy away from the complexities and ‘discomforts’ of decolonising work. These findings are shared not as a guide for ‘best practice’ but as an endeavour to offer insights and inspiration for colleagues on similar journeys with perhaps similar hesitations, particularly those colleagues from within the field of STEM education, where decolonising work remains limited.