1. Tackling underachievement in education: Towards a systems approach
Professor Leon Tikly
University of Bristol

2. Outline The meaning of a systems approach The importance of context
The Role of HE in addressing underachievement: a systems perspective
Outline

3. Debates about BME achievement tend to be fragmented and partial
We tend to see the English education system as hermetically sealed off from the rest of the world and from wider debates about globalisation and of England’s place in the world
We also tend to see issues of under/achievement in HE as separated from issues lower down the system
We need to learn from other education systems
We need a system-wide approach to tackling under/achievement
HE has a key role in a system-wide response
Main argument

4. The meaning of a systems approach
Education is an example of a complex social system
Consists of inter-connected elements
Exists in relation to other education systems
Exists in relation to other complex systems (economic, social, environmental)
Multi-causality and intersectionality
Dialectic between structure and agency
Need for inter-disciplinarity and mixed methods
There are system-wide elements/ dynamics that have their own causal effects
Institutionalised racism
Innovation
Accountability
The meaning of a systems approach

5. Globalisation and education
Shift towards the ‘knowledge economy’
Decline in traditional industries in UK and other Western countries
Greater economic integration and mobility
Growing inequalities within and between countries
Globalisation and education

6. The ‘postcolonial condition’ in education
‘We are over here because you were over there’
Education and diaspora
The long shadow of scientific and cultural racism
The postcolonial ‘knowledge condition’
The complexity of identities
English as a hegemonic language
The ‘postcolonial condition’ in education

7. The postcolonial condition in he

8. Sustainable development
SDG four – the education SDG – explicitly calls for an integrated approach to sustainable development. This is to recognise
The inter-dependence of different areas of economic, social and environmental development
Global inter-connectedness
The prevalence of inequalities globally
Sustainable development

9. The Role of HE in Race Equality: A systemic approach
Developing systems leadership for race equality
Re-orienting research
Comparative research on race equality and education
Addressing global challenges
Collaborative partnerships
Encouraging innovation and sharing successful practice, e.g.
A relevant and inclusive curriculum
Pedagogical interventions
More effective use of data across the education system as a whole
Identifying key ‘crunch points’ for intervention
The Role of HE in Race Equality: A systemic approach

10. The Role of HE in addressing race equality: A systemic Approach
Developing mentors in HE and lower down the system
Engage key stakeholders
Improve teacher training and CPD in HE for race equality
Increase proportion of global majority academics including in senior positions in a way that is globally sustainable
Developing accountability across the system for race equality
The Role of HE in addressing race equality: A systemic Approach