{"id":1454,"date":"2023-08-17T12:47:21","date_gmt":"2023-08-17T11:47:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.cardiff.ac.uk\/education-development-toolkit\/?page_id=1454"},"modified":"2026-09-16T10:36:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T09:36:31","slug":"developing-inclusive-mindsets","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.cardiff.ac.uk\/education-development-toolkit\/theme-overview\/inclusivity\/developing-inclusive-mindsets\/","title":{"rendered":"Developing Inclusive Mindsets"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Inclusive Education CPD Offer<\/h3>

In this Inclusivity page, you will learn to work with students to draw on the diversity of the learning community, question the origins of subject knowledge, and explore the practices you can use to develop an inclusive community, including supporting students to become active agents in inclusivity.<\/p>\n

You can choose to read the text, or alternatively you could use the Microsoft Immersive Reader,<\/a>\u00a0which has the ability to set preferences or use the 'read aloud' function.<\/p>\n

You can then advance your understanding by accessing the related pages or workshops on specific Inclusive Education topics, outlined at the end of the page.<\/p>\n

Key Reading for this page: Parsons, L. and Ozaki, C.C. 2020. Teaching and Learning for Social Justice and Equity in Higher Education. Swizerland: Springer<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div> \n\n \n

An inclusive community actively engages with the challenges and complexities of belonging and achievement inherent in traditional and elitist practices. It strives to overcome them through identification of barriers to learning and engagement, to promote \u2018A more equal Wales\u2019 (Well-Being of Future Generations Act 2015). Through developing inclusive mindsets, we can support and empower students from all backgrounds to celebrate diversity, and to become agents and change-makers who can actively participate in supporting the development of socially-just futures (UN Sustainable Development Goal 16).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On this page you will read about how you can draw on the diversity of the community to enrich the learning experience, address bias in your teaching and resources, and support students to develop inclusive mindsets in your approaches to their learning. It is for anyone who is teaching or supporting students, in any role.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can develop your understanding of Developing Inclusive Mindsets by engaging with our related workshops, which are available asynchronously, to take in your own time, and can be followed by a live workshop (with enough demand), or a bespoke meeting with the lead to discuss application to your practice. Find out more on the Cardiff LTA CPD page.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It aligns to the Professional Standards Framework (PSF 2024) overall requirement for \u2018effective and inclusive practice\u2019, and in particular to Professional Values V1: Respecting individual learners and groups of learners, and V2: \u2018Promoting engagement in learning and equity of opportunity\u2019. It also enables application of K2: \u2018Approaches to teaching, supporting diverse learners\u2019, and K5: \u2018Requirements for quality assurance and enhancement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Inclusive Education Enhancement model has a number of areas of focus for Developing Inclusive Mindsets, to further support your self-reflection and development.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Developing inclusive mindsets supports the university mission to offer \u2018an excellent educational experience for students of all backgrounds and experiences, and a commitment to flexible lifelong learning that creates positive change\u2019, which is central to Cardiff University\u2019s Strategy, \u2018Our Future, Together\u2019.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Developing Inclusive Mindsets<\/h3>\n \n\n
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Top Tips from Students<\/h3>
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\u2018I appreciate the School of Bioscience cultural event and how it celebrates various cultures and highlights diversity\u2019<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2018Psychology has events and talks related to a variety of topics- e.g., an event for world down syndrome day. <\/span>I believe it<\/span> is <\/span>really beneficial<\/span> to create awareness.\u2019<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2018I enjoyed the St Davids celebration SOCSI hosted by Sion. I enjoyed singing the Welsh national anthem and as an English person, I really enjoyed learning about Welsh culture.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Provide opportunities for open discussion and anonymous feedback on your teaching practice, materials and what students would like to include in relation to inclusion <\/span>( '<\/span>what works\/doesn't work for you')<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Set interactive work in diverse and mixed teams (<\/span>set expectations for teams, and <\/span>switch and mix teams in sessions- move them!)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Give opportunities for students to relate course content to their own experiences, encouraging the sharing of diverse perspectives and interpretations<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Integrate themes of equality, diversity and inclusivity into learning materials and activities<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div> \n\n \n

Higher education is more diverse than ever before, and therefore institutions play a key role in equipping students with the skills needed to become inclusion champions for their future. The diverse learning environment can provide a space to discuss, reflect and critique the concepts, ideologies and histories of disciplines and pedagogies. It can also enable students to draw on their own cultural experiences and foster cultural awareness of the world around them. When we approach our teaching from an inclusive perspective, valuing the diversity of our students and reflecting on our own assumptions and bias, we place the needs of our students at the centre of the learning.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is important to acknowledge that students will have varying levels of understanding of EDI and inclusion topics. Therefore, the opportunity to discuss and critically reflect on equality, diversity, and inclusion themes within the curriculum is an important aspect of the student experience.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \n\n

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Reflection Questions<\/h3>
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  • What consideration is given to your student's identities when planning your module or programme?<\/li>\n
  • How do you provide space throughout your programme or module for students to actively explore, critique and reflect on their own experiences, viewpoints, and intersectional identities?<\/li>\n
  • To what extent do you have a concept of the 'typical student'?<\/li>\n
  • Can you identify areas where you might make assumptions about students behaviour- for example lateness or inattention?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div> \n\n \n

    Drawing on the diversity of the community to enrich and inform the development of\u00a0 the student experience<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Developing cultural competence within the curriculum fosters the value of respect, and appreciating and understanding <\/span>different cultural<\/span> backgrounds, thus enabling all to work effectively in our increasingly globalised world. The <\/span>Advance HE Report, Creating Digitally Inclusive Strategies (2023),<\/span> for example, highlights the importance of designing learning environments that not just foster academic growth but <\/span>also<\/span> support the cultural and social growth of all <\/span>learners<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \n\n

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    The Student Perspective<\/h3>
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    \u2018Provide regular opportunities to discuss EDI topics in a safe and respectful space. In practice, this can be challenging to manage, but when done thoughtfully, it builds trust and mutual respect. <\/span>I\u2019ve<\/span> seen how open, <\/span>facilitated<\/span> conversations can shift classroom dynamics in a <\/span>really positive<\/span> way.\u2019<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    \u2018Encourage discussion between students about their experiences, <\/span>perhaps in<\/span> small groups, to encourage the development of a safe space. <\/span>Never <\/span>force a student to <\/span>disclose<\/span> anything that they do not feel comfortable saying. If it helps, leave the room briefly while students <\/span>engage in small-group conversations to emphasise that the learning is very much directed at them and their needs.\u2019<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div> \n\n \n

    Unconscious Bias and ‘Epistemic Credibility’<\/h2>\n

    Watch this short introduction to unconscious bias:<\/p>\n

    How to use Unconscious Bias Training For Students – understanding unconscious bias video<\/a><\/p>\n