The ‘post-decolonial’ moment? Radical pedagogies in UK Higher Education in historical perspective

Abstract

This article maps the history of antiracist pedagogies in UK Higher Education (HE). The article presents the argument that we are currently in a ‘post-decolonial’ phase following the increasing traction of recent decolonising movements, particularly in the wake of the resurgence of Black Lives Matter UK in the summer of 2020. UK HE institutions have co-opted the language of decolonisation and have sought to address staff and student concerns through liberal/ neoliberal initiatives that do not address the colonial roots of inequities in these institutions. Yet, there is a longer history of antiracist pedagogy in UK HE, and the legacies of this continue to be called upon for continuing antiracist pedagogical work today. Crucially, neoliberalism and anti-Blackness are identified as key concerns in the contemporary context. This history will be significant for scholars of education, as the article provides analysis of key case studies of antiracist pedagogical approaches employed in the UK HE context, as well as scholars across fields who wish to implement antiracist and other radical pedagogies into their teaching practice.