Growing equity and inclusion
British Science Week 2022
This is an abridged version of an article that was published in FE News on Monday 14 March 2022. See the video below for an interview with Jeff Greenidge - Director for Diversity at the Association of Colleges, Rosa Wells - Executive Director Employment and Skills, IoT and Technical Teaching Fellow, Solihull College of Further and Higher Education and the Education and Training Foundations National Head of Technical Education - Cerian Ayres, sharing their views on growth through equality, diversity and inclusion in science.
Technical education in STEM subjects in the UK is at a critical juncture. Economic and social recovery post-Brexit and as the UK emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic requires a highly skilled and adaptable workforce, and a strong ‘talent pipeline’ into further and higher technical education.
British Science Week 2022 is a great opportunity to reflect on how that strong STEM talent pipeline can only be achieved on a foundation of equality, diversity, inclusion (EDI) and sustainability.
In this video Jeff, Rosa and Cerian discuss what growth in science means to them in the context of equality, diversity and inclusion.
Defining diversity
When we consider diversity we tend to focus on ‘protected characteristics’ such as race, gender, and age. We also tend to assume that contributors to the diversity debate are talking about their own communities: that women ‘must be’ talking about gender equality; people from black and ethnic minority communities ‘must be’ talking about racial equality.
However, diversity is not just about colour, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation; it's also about the acquired diversity of thought that comes through culture and life experiences, and they all work together to create the space for creativity by instilling curiosity that leads to "outside the box" thinking.
Innovation is fueled by diversity, and science need innovators. We must develop a culture in STEM education that values diversity as a driver for scientific innovation, inspiration and excitement.
To do this, we need to address diversity across many different communities and definitions. It’s about ensuring that everyone is progressing and being present in communities who recognise and embrace their talents.
Reducing regional inequality
We know opportunities – in education, employment and life in general – vary widely across the UK. We also know that higher-level qualifications lead to higher earning potential. There’s work to do here: a recent OECD international comparison placed the UK at 31 of 43 countries for intermediate skills’ at Levels 2 and 3, and at 16 of 20 countries for Level 4 and 5 ‘technician level’ skills.
Regional issues require a regional response which the Department of Education is delivering through:
- 12 ‘Opportunity Areas’ across England with extra funding and initiatives to support social mobility and life chances for young people and is one means to tackle this regional inequality and to support growth in the STEM talent pipeline.
- 55 Education Investment Areas – announced in February 2022 – in which additional ‘levelling-up’ funding will support teacher retention and other measures to improve standards across key stages.
Take action! Is your organisation in an OA? If so, are you working as closely as possible with the OA partnership board to maximise its impact on skills education in your area?
This week, the British Science Association released a report “Mapping and analysis of science engagement and inequity in the UK” which identified that:
“The science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) engagement landscape in the UK is complex and nuanced. In many cases, adjacent areas have very different levels of opportunity to engage with science.”
How does your local area perform in terms of science engagement?
Equality for learners with SEND
Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics demonstrate that, if you have a disability, you are less likely to be in employment. 81% of non-disabled people are in employment compared with 52% of disabled people and only 22% of people with autism are in work.
But strategies to support learners with SEND really work. Oldham College is part of the ETF’s ‘centre for excellence’ network for SEND and a WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence. Their high quality learning support has enabled learners with SEND to secure medals in WorldSkills competitions and, recently, one learner was celebrated as UK Higher Education learner of the year.
Further education has a critical role to play in SEND education and opportunities: it is about putting inclusion at the centre of FE so that difference is valued and that all learners fulfill their aspirations.
Take action! Are you making the most of the support available from the ETF for developing excellence in SEND? Find out more about the resources available and join the leadership and community of practice events via the Centres for Excellence in SEND website.
Ethnic diversity in science
2020 research by the National Academy of Sciences highlighted the “diversity-innovation paradox in science”. The authors found high rates of innovation across diverse demographic groups, however, the adoption of those innovations is not equal across demographic groups. Women and non-white academics find their novel contributions receive less uptake.
Similarly, findings of The Royal Society Report Inspiring Scientists: Diversity in British Science reports that the scientists interviewed “described little or no evidence of direct or indirect racism in the British scientific workplaces". However, in terms of awareness of – and engagement with – the scientific community "many of the interviewees did not regard science as an obvious, 'normal' or easy career choice for someone of their ethnic background”.
A number of reports such as the British Science Association’s Inquiry into Equity in STEM Education and Inquiry into Equity in the STEM Workforce have provided insights and recommendations, but we need more research into effective careers, guidance and educational interventions to support under-represented groups into higher technical STEM study and meaningful, rewarding employment – ‘decent work’ in the language of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
We need to be conscious of these inequalities and active in addressing them through STEM Ambassador programmes and our partnership working with employers and wider stakeholders ensuring that our learners have meaningful and regular encounters with to diverse, positive role models that can bringing learning to life.
We also need to engage allies: we know that the mechanisms that impact science and research are designed and led by white, cis-gender, male academics. But they are not the adversaries! They can be powerful friends if they recognise that they are in a situation where they are unaware of how tough something is for other groups since they do not face the same challenges.
Take action! Why not do a quick review of the teaching and learning materials that you use in your science delivery. How is diversity represented? Are you reinforcing unhelpful stereotypes or are you sharing identifiable, positive, aspirational role models for learners regardless of their, gender identity, heritage and age?
Consider sharing this set of ‘Smashing Stereotypes’ profiles – developed for British Science Week – with your STEM learners.
You could also take inspiration from the sector. For example, Students at West Suffolk College are helping to embed black history into a College curriculum so that others "understand how beautiful the journey's been and still is". Does your curriculum highlight and celebrate the achievements of scientists from underrepresented groups?
There are a number of initiatives recently launched to address these imbalances: Lewis Hamilton Commission for Motorsports and the January 2022, Department for Education, Teach in FE Campaign. We need to increase the representation of black and ethnic minority teachers of Science, Engineering and Technology.
In conclusion
To improve equality, diversity and inclusion in our organisations we need to improve the educational experience for all. Diversity is critical to innovation. Students who are exposed to diversity and inclusion in the curriculum will develop their critical thinking skills, become more open to possibilities, and be better equipped to contribute to the innovation and growth that the global economy requires in the twenty-first century.
As Rosa Well says in the video above:
“You can only solve the problems that we’ve got if you’ve got a diverse group of individuals, working together. It’s not good enough to say ‘this is what we need’…we’ve got to support our employers to adapt so that they can support a more diverse workforce. That isn’t just about how you adapt for minority groups or for women: it’s about how you adapt to be more supportive for everybody, so that everybody can be more involved and feel more included.”