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TASO has launched a new report today on the impact of curriculum reform on the ethnicity degree awarding gap.

The report summarises the evaluation of two curriculum reform interventions that aimed to narrow the degree awarding gap between Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) students and their White peers. The interventions were carried out by the University of Leicester and the University of Kent.

Key findings:

  • Findings do not decisively indicate whether curriculum reform interventions address the degree awarding gap.
  • Limited evidence was found of an impact on the ethnicity degree awarding gap across the two interventions – however there is caution in interpreting findings due to the implementation of the interventions.
  • Findings raise questions about whether more effective implementation may have different results.
  • Findings around implementation are relevant for both curriculum interventions and for non-curriculum initiatives aimed at tackling the degree awarding gap.

In response to the findings, TASO recommends higher education providers:

  • Ensure that curriculum reform interventions are implemented as planned in order to effectively evaluate them. We advise that they develop a clear Theory of Change (ToC), outlining any intermediate outcomes and the rationale for how they address this gap.
  • Consider combining ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ approaches to curriculum reform, or adopting a more shared and distributed approach to leadership.
  • Take learnings from the wider evidence on curriculum and strategic change in higher education and other institutions.
  • Other interventions should be piloted and evaluated to assess their impact on the ethnicity degree awarding gap. To support this, we have commissioned further research to explore and collate current practice on what HEPs are currently doing to address the degree awarding gap.

Download the summary report: the impact of curriculum reform on the ethnicity degree awarding gap.

Download the full report: the impact of curriculum reform on the ethnicity degree awarding gap.