Ethnicity and Race Equality Gaps

Latest project

To support the sector to better understand and evaluate their interventions which aim to tackle the ethnicity degree awarding gap, TASO commissioned Staffordshire University and Advance HE to work with six higher education providers to produce Theories of Change and evaluation plans for their interventions.

Download the report: From vision to action: harnessing Theory of Change to tackle ethnicity degree awarding gaps (PDF)

A Core Theory of Change, Enhanced Theory of Change and evaluation plan for each provider and their associated interventions are included below. The evaluation plans vary depending on the maturity of the intervention and where possible, recommendations for producing Type 3 (causal) evidence are made. For interventions that have never previously been implemented, however, the evaluation methodologies are more exploratory, or ‘pilot evaluations’.

• Accessible Assessment Principles (Birmingham City University)
  • Core Theory of Change (PDF)
  • Enhanced Theory of Change (PDF)
  • Evaluation plan (PDF)
• Student Referral Scheme (Loughborough University)
  • Core Theory of Change (PDF)
  • Enhanced Theory of Change (PDF)
  • Evaluation plan (PDF)
• Staff Accountability Partnerships (Manchester Metropolitan University)
  • Core Theory of Change (PDF)
  • Enhanced Theory of Change (PDF)
  • Evaluation plan (PDF)
• Monitoring of Inclusive Learning Panel (University of Law)
  • Core Theory of Change (PDF)
  • Enhanced Theory of Change (PDF)
  • Evaluation plan (PDF)
• Dissertation Retreats and Student Panels (University of Southampton)
  • Core Theory of Change (PDF)
  • Enhanced Theory of Change (PDF)
  • Evaluation plan (PDF)
• Departmental EDAG Framework (University of York)
  • Core Theory of Change (PDF)
  • Enhanced Theory of Change (PDF)
  • Evaluation plan (PDF)

Previous projects

In 2022-2023, we appointed Staffordshire University to review access and participation plans (APPs) to map current approaches to tackle the ethnicity degree awarding gap. The report provides an overview of:

• The typology of approaches aiming to reduce the ethnicity degree awarding gap
• The specific interventions that HE providers are delivering
• Approaches to evaluation, including whether there is a Theory of Change to link interventions with reducing the degree awarding gap, the extent to which interventions have been evaluated, and the quality of this evaluation.

Download the full report: Approaches to addressing the ethnicity degree awarding gap (PDF)

Prior to this, we worked with the University of Kent and the University of Leicester to establish whether reforming the curriculum to make it more diverse would reduce the ethnicity degree awarding gap. We also sought to understand whether reforming the curriculum improves the experience of students from marginalised ethnic backgrounds in terms of their engagement with module content and satisfaction with the module.

Download the full report: The impact of curriculum reform on the ethnicity degree awarding gap (PDF)

If you would like to find out more or have any questions around these projects, please get in touch with us at research@taso.org.uk.