Embedding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Geoscience Education: Insights from the Contextualising the Curriculum Project

Educators routinely draw on contemporary role models and historical figures to introduce concepts and highlight scientific innovations in industry and research. In the geosciences, however, these figures are most often portrayed as white, Western men, a pattern that can negatively influence students’ self-identity and sense of belonging within the discipline. In addition, many students do not see themselves represented within the academic faculty body in terms of cultural background, race, class, gender, neurodivergence and other dimensions of identity. As a result, students may perceive the curriculum as insufficiently inclusive or struggle to envision a future for themselves as geoscientists.

To address these challenges, we are undertaking the Contextualising the Curriculum (CtC) project, a partnership between students and staff across the Earth Sciences and Materials disciplines at Imperial College London. The CtC project aims to examine how and why elements of the curriculum may act as barriers to equality, diversity and inclusivity and how these barriers affect students’ self-identity and sense of belonging. 

The first phase of the project involved collecting data through an anonymous questionnaire distributed to undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Earth Science and Engineering (ESE) and Materials departments. Preliminary results indicate that for the majority of respondents, representation of diverse individuals within the curriculum has a positive impact on their sense of belonging. The findings also show that students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds would like to see greater recognition of contributions from underrepresented groups within the curriculum.

The second phase of the project focuses on diversifying curriculum content and resources, as well as developing inclusive teaching strategies. Key initiatives include the creation of an online portal hosting an expanding repository of 'Hidden Figures', and the development of a new CtC module that equips interdisciplinary students across Imperial with inclusive practice skills to implement in their curricula and future careers. In addition, we are enhancing diversity in teaching by inviting academics from minority ethnic backgrounds to deliver lectures and seminars to undergraduate students.

The final phase of the CtC project will evaluate the impact of a contextualized curriculum on students’ self-identity and sense of belonging, providing evidence-based insights into inclusive pedagogical practices in geoscience education.

Beyond its institutional context, the CtC project offers a scalable and transferable framework that can be adapted across disciplines and higher-education settings. By combining student–staff partnership, data-driven curriculum review and practical interventions, the project provides practical guidance and actionable approaches for educators seeking to embed equality, diversity and inclusivity meaningfully within their teaching. This work will be of interest to academics, programme leads and educational developers who wish to evaluate and redesign their curriculum to better support student belonging, engagement and retention, and to foster more inclusive academic cultures within their own institutions.