June 2025

Intervention

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• Brief description of your (teaching/learning support) context for the intervention

I am a full-time lecturer who works with Fashion Marketing students across undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD levels for teaching and learning purposes and also work as a Year Tutor closely with them to identify and support the students who are in need during their university life, for wellbeing purposes. We have a large cohort of students join us every year, the student size is around 400 per year for the 3 undergraduate courses, and 300 for the 5 postgraduate courses. Fashion Marketing units are all well designed with a consistent structure followed the SoW, individual teachers have less control in the teaching contents’ selection and design, so my intervention proposal will focus more on the ways how I plan to deliver the contents to students, and how I am planning to communicate with students during my teaching practises.

 

• Brief explanation of the intervention/change, why you think it’s needed, and how it relates to your academic practice

I will focus on inclusion as the intervention. UAL is world world-leading university in Fashion and Arts, students join us from different backgrounds every year. They grow up under different cultures, beliefs, and family backgrounds; they speak different languages, with different skin, hair and eye colour, etc.

Inclusive education means all students, including students with disability, are welcomed by their school and supported to reach their full potential. Inclusion is most effective when schools aim to create a culture that celebrates diversity and builds on the strengths of each student (NSW Government, 2021). Inclusive universities nurture professional learning communities that empower teachers to create optimum learning outcomes for students with disability through the use of best practice approaches and current, evidence-based strategies (Nunan et.al, 2000).
In other words, an inclusive teacher supports all students to participate, learn, and succeed in all aspects of education.

Back to education, no matter what racial, religious, or ethnic background, gender, learning style, or ability should have equal access to educational opportunities in a learning environment where all students are equally safe, valued, and respected. I will always try to create an inclusive classroom aiming to actively address and eliminate negative stereotypes and attitudes based on racial, ethnic, or religious background, gender, learning style, ability, or any other identifying characteristic.

Finally aim to build up a warm and relaxed environment for their university life in UAL, to make it possible for students to maximize their potential.

 

• A brief rationale for the design of the intervention (including which readings/resources underpin your decisions)

Inclusion in education in the UK has been a hotly debated political topic for many years. One of the benefits of inclusive education is that it can help to break down stereotypes and prejudices about people with disabilities. It can also help to create a more diverse and inclusive society.

The importance of inclusive education in the UK context stems from several factors that highlight the need for an equitable and diverse educational system. These factors include:

1. Legal requirements: The UK has enacted laws and policies, such as the Equality Act 2010 and the SEND Code of Practice (2015), which mandate the provision of equal opportunities for all learners, regardless of their abilities, backgrounds, or needs (UNESCO, 2009). Inclusive education is essential for schools to comply with these laws and uphold the rights of students with disabilities.

2. Demographic diversity: The UK has a diverse population with varied cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. An inclusive education system ensures that all students, irrespective of their differences, have equal access to high-quality education and can benefit from a learning environment that embraces and celebrates diversity.

3. Social cohesion: Inclusive education promotes social cohesion by fostering understanding, empathy, and respect among students from different backgrounds and abilities (Ainscow, et.al, 2006; Ainscow, 2016). This helps to reduce prejudices, stereotypes, and discrimination, ultimately contributing to a more harmonious and inclusive society.

4. Maximising potential: Inclusive education recognises that each student has unique strengths and talents, and it seeks to nurture these by providing an accessible and supportive learning environment (Black-Hawkins, 2010). This approach helps to maximise the potential of all learners, which is beneficial not only for the students themselves but also for society as a whole.

5. Preparing students for the future: In today’s globalised and interconnected world, it is essential for students to develop the skills and attitudes required to collaborate and thrive in diverse workplaces and communities (Humphrey, 2013). Inclusive education plays a crucial role in fostering these skills and equipping students for a successful future.

 

• A brief account of any challenges you’ve encountered and consideration of any potential risks or barriers

Students come from different backgrounds/situations may develop different kind/level of needs, and students may set up different sensitive levels under some certain scenarios; then that will be extremely important for educators to identify these differences in advance and support the students in needs with specific communication skills, to comfort them and build up trust.

I will continually support Marketing students with my best mentoring skills, i.e., create a private and relaxed conversation setting for those who’d like to speak with me privately, tracking the students’ status longitudinally to actively monitor their wellbeing, such as offering 1-1 tutorial slots every semester, etc…

 

References List:

Ainscow, M. (2016). Diversity and equity: A global education challenge. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 51(2), 143-155.

Ainscow, M., Booth, T., and Dyson, A. (2006). Improving schools, developing inclusion. Routledge.

Black-Hawkins, K. (2010). The framework for participation: A research tool for exploring the inclusive classroom. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 14(5), 427-440.

Humphrey, N. (2013). Social and emotional learning: A critical appraisal. SAGE.

NSW Government (2021). What is inclusive education? Available at: https://education.nsw.gov.au/campaigns/inclusive-practice-hub/all-resources/secondary-resources/other-pdf-resources/what-is-inclusive-education-

Nunan, T., George, R., & McCausland, H. (2000). Inclusive education in universities: why it is important and how it might be achieved. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 4(1), 63–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/136031100284920

UNESCO. (2009). Policy Guidelines on Inclusion in Education. Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0017/001778/177849e.pdf

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Blog 3 – Race

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Engaged in IP unit, I have gain deeper understanding regards the importance of Race as a teaching staff in higher education, it’s extremely important for us to fully exploring what’s  race in teaching and learning, and what does it means, and how should we manage it equally to all students, to make sure we can be confidence when exchange knowledge with students from different backgrounds, and balance it in our daily activities to provide students an equal and fairness learning environment.

The history of education is rife with instances of violence and oppression along lines of race and ethnicity. For educators, leading conversations about race and racism is a challenging, but necessary, part of their work (Cacciatore, 2021).

“Schools operate within larger contexts: systems of race, racism, and white supremacy; systems of migration and ethnic identity formation; patterns of socialization; the changing realities of capitalism and politics,” explains historian and Harvard lecturer Timothy Patrick McCarthy (2001), co-faculty lead of Race and Ethnicity in Context. “How do we understand the role that racial and ethnic identity play with respect to equity and opportunity within an educational context?” When educators exploring the potential challenges and opportunities in their own schools, universities and communities, McCarthy offer five ways to get started: 1. Begin with the self; 2. Model vulnerability; 3. Be transparent; 4. Center voices of colour; 5. Prioritize discussion and reflection (Cacciatore, 2021).

Another theory called Critical Race Theory (CRT) echoes to this. CRT has become almost the default theoretical position for those researching ‘race’ and education in England, largely due the effective promotion of this perspective in Gillborn’s important work on ‘race’ and education in the UK (Gillborn 2008, 2013b).

In the UK, CRT perspectives have more recently been used to examine how issues relating to ‘race’ in education have rarely been the priority of governments, despite occasional moments of rhetorical concern; for decades, there has been a constant need to ‘fight for legitimacy as a significant topic’ for policy (Gillborn 2005, 493). Indeed, under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government (2010–15) – the period where the policy under discussion here developed – concern for ‘race’ was ‘severely diminished’ (Warmington et al. 2017). Furthermore, CRT encourages us to think of policy in terms of benefits and outcomes; as Gillborn has repeatedly pointed out the benefits of ‘rising standards’ for different ethnic groups have not been equal in the UK (Gillborn 2008; Gillborn et al. 2017; Gillborn 2005). Back to my future teachings, I will support anti-racism practise by valuing the students’ differences in race and provide them an equal opportunity to learning, interactions, assessment, and feedbacks.

 

 

References

Cacciatore, G., (2001) Exploring Equity: Race and Ethnicity. Available at: https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/21/02/exploring-equity-race-and-ethnicity Accessed 19/06/2025.

Gillborn, D. 2005. “Education Policy as an Act of White Supremacy: Whiteness, Critical Race Theory and Education Reform.” Journal of Education Policy 20 (4): 485–505. doi:10.1080/ 02680930500132346.

Gillborn, D. 2008. Racism and Education: Coincidence or Conspiracy? London: Routledge.

Gillborn, D. 2013b. “Racism as Policy: A Critical Race Analysis of Education Reforms in the United States and England.” The Educational Forum 78 (1): 26–41. doi:10.1080/ 00131725.2014.850982.

Gillborn, D., S. Demack, N. Rollock, and P. Warmington. 2017. “Moving the Goalposts: Education Policy and 25 Years of the Black/White Achievement Gap.” British Educational Research Journal 43 (5): 848–874. doi:10.1002/berj.3297.

Warmington, P., D. Gillborn, N. Rollock, and S. Demack. 2017. ““They Can’t Handle the Race Agenda”: Stakeholders’ Reflections on Race and Education Policy, 1993–2013.” Educational Review 70 (4): 409–426. doi:10.1080/00131911.2017.1353482.

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Blog 2 – Intersectionality, Faith and Inclusion

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In this blog, I will focus on the review, reflections, and discussions for the exampled intersectionality and faith relevant resources, under the Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality (Crenshaw K., 1989).

The first resource is a TED talk given by Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah, which offers a generous, surprising view about religion. He claims that plenty of good things are done in the name of religion, and plenty of bad things too. So, what is religion, exactly — is it good or bad, in and of itself (Appiah, K. A., 2014)?

On one hand, we’re told religion causes charity, compassion, ethics, good will, kindness, morality, righteousness, selflessness, unity, etc. Religion holds communities together, is a place of comfort/hope, supplies support, addresses social issues themselves, etc. On the other hand, religion is accused of promoting divisions, maintaining power, creating guilt, condoning excesses, fostering intolerance, encouraging violence, oppressing minorities, promoting doctrine, and so forth. Many scientists and philosophers argued that organized religions are sources for both good and bad today and throughout human history (Harvey Whitehouse, 2019). The ways in which religions are a source of good are obvious, in that they promote virtuous behaviour such as charitable giving, and propagate rules that attempt to discourage various bad behaviours.

Kimberlé Crenshaw is overwhelmingly credited with coining the term intersectionality in higher education spaces during the late 1980s and early 1990s (Collins & Bilge, 2016). Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989, 1991) introduced intersectionality as an analytic concept to address the complex latent power relations that shape the lives of women of colour, and Black women in particular. The article written by Jawad, H. (2022), which is titled “Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women,” echoes this theory.

Another evidence about the Visible Muslim Women is the report by the UK’s biggest Muslim women’s sports charity Muslimah Sports Association (MSA, 2022) found 97% of British Muslim women surveyed would like their current participation in sports to increase – but 37% aren’t taking part in a sport or activity in any capacity. The study aimed to map the demands of all British regions for sport participation of Muslim women, and to investigate why Muslim women are underrepresented in sport and what barriers they face. The report said: “It is important to recognise that Muslim women are not a homogeneous group and come from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. They have different interpretations of their religious beliefs, and it is up to each individual to determine how they balance their religious and cultural values with their desire to participate in sport.” (MSA, 2022).

Back to education, no matter what racial, religious, or ethnic background, gender, learning style, or ability should have equal access to educational opportunities in a learning environment where all students are equally safe, valued, and respected. I will always try to create an inclusive classroom aiming to actively address and eliminate negative stereotypes and attitudes based on racial, ethnic, or religious background, gender, learning style, ability, or any other identifying characteristic.

 

References:

Appiah, K. A. (2014) Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question). YouTube [Online]. 16 June. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2et2KO8gcY

Collins P. H., Bilge S. (2016). Intersectionality. Wiley.

Crenshaw K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139–167. https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8

Harvey Whitehouse (2019), Has religion been good or bad for humanity? New Scientist, Volume 242, Issue 3224, 2019, Pages 36-39, ISSN 0262-4079, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0262-4079(19)30604-9.

Jawad, H. (2022) Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women. [Online]. Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/religionglobalsociety/2022/09/islam-women-and-sport-the-case-of-visible-muslim-women/

Muslimah Sports Association (2022) Muslim Women in Sport Report. https://mcusercontent.com/9ff512b2c4b15839ae339461f/files/0af3dd9e-0529-4e4a-156c-387635725a7f/MSA_Reserach_Report.pdf

Reki, J. (2023) Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account. Hypatia 38, pp. 779–800.

Trinity University (2016) Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in the Classroom. [Online]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAOKTo_DOk

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