Reports Part of series: Professional learning for teacher educators: BERA Small Grants Fund research reports
Building frameworks for racial literacy
A new report enabled by BERA’s Small Grants fund explored how racial literacy can be embedded into secondary school curriculum frameworks, building on the anti-racist educator pathway “Teaching to Transform” led by the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre At De Montfort University, UK.
Using a mixed-methods approach included surveys of Leicester secondary school staff and dialogic groups with curriculum leaders to assess confidence, CPD opportunities, and leadership in racial literacy, the research team found that:
The report authors argue that racial literacy should be a shared responsibility across all levels of school governance. With racial literacy principles woven into curriculum design and delivery. This should be supported by annual, whole-school CPD with the potential for accreditation.
The report makes practical recommendations for continuing professional development to develop racial literacy in schools.
Teaching to Transform the Curriculum (T2TC) builds on an anti-racist educator pathway, Teaching to Transform, led by the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre at De Montfort University, UK. T2TC evaluated the potential to enrich curriculum design and delivery
by considering subject-based racial literacy. It explored with curriculum leads how racial literacy can be embedded within their curriculum frameworks.
A survey of Leicester secondary school staff evaluated engagement with racial literacy, opportunities and limitations of continuing professional development (CPD), personal and team-based confidence, and leadership for developing curriculum-based racial literacy. A dialogic group with six curriculum leaders followed, to map the potential for extending racial
literacy into the curriculum, mindful of school contexts.
The survey highlighted that staff needed the language and knowledge to challenge racism, which underpins their confidence to educate children appropriately. An ecosystem of CPD was described, and this tended to be locally defined and one-off, often led by senior leaders or champions. Development was often facilitated by external partners, despite reported confidence with racial literacy in schools. Several respondents reported having no CPD opportunities, which amplified the negative impact of workload/time on development.
In framing the emotional conditions for developing racial literacy, school/curriculum leadership matters in moving school engagement beyond equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) training. Mindful of hierarchies, confident and reflexive approaches to racial literacy
can encourage the disruption of aspects of curriculum design and delivery. Thus, T2TC identifies practical CPD – aimed at unlearning practices, challenging existing structures and transforming curriculum-based relationships, and curated by local champions – as vital to enriching social justice in schools
Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University
Early Career Researcher. Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University Camille London-Miyo’s research primarily focuses on Black Teacher Professional Identities in Leicester Secondary Schools and the SLRC’s Teaching to Transform...
Professor of Education and Technology at De Montfort University
Richard Hall is Professor of Education and Technology at De Montfort University. He is an Advance HE National Teaching Fellow and Principal Fellow, and with the Decolonising DMU team he won a Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence. He is the...