There is a longstanding imperative from both government and industry for a workforce with the skills needed to drive forward the scientific and technological advances that are considered so crucial to the economic prosperity of the nation. However, the skills of this workforce have purportedly been both in short supply and inadequate for many…

Background: The analogy of the leaky pipeline has been used to describe STEM education, with lower student diversity from compulsory to post-compulsory education and beyond. Although extensive research has explored the views and experiences of school-aged children about STEM, fewer studies have examined the career intentions of STEM students at…

The imperative to address the complex problem of degree awarding gaps within UK higher education institutions is multifaceted and messy. Various studies have continually highlighted this persistent undergraduate awarding gap (racial equity gap or/ethnicity gap) between White and racially minoritised students. This disparity in educational…

This paper examines staff perspectives on institutional representations of a range of areas of diversity and inclusion in a key post-compulsory education sector: that of UK Higher Education (HE). The paper focuses on comparing representational statements made by institutions with the reality of their lived experiences as perceived by staff. The…

The rise of curricula activist campaigns requires intensified scrutinisation of representation in the curricula. Although case studies represent a key pedagogical tool within management education, representation within case studies and educators' accompanying decision-making processes are underexplored. Adopting a qualitative research approach,…

The pursuit of inclusion in elite universities has been widely explored from a structural lens concerned with issues of access faced by traditionally underrepresented students and staff. Building from a sociological institutionalist approach, this paper proposes the concept of 'agentic inclusion' to capture the growing valorisation of…

This presented study explores the ongoing Uni Connect Programme run by the UK government to widen participation among underrepresented young people. The research focused on one specific local authority that delivers Uni Connect activities, gathering data from eight in-depth interviews (project manager N = 2, activity coordinators N = 6) and the…

A common conclusion drawn from publicly available Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data releases is that Higher Music Education (HME) courses have a predominantly male population. However, HESA data has key issues when examining HME courses: which courses are reported as 'music' courses to HESA; how do universities decide which courses…

While there are many different frameworks seeking to identify what benefits young people might derive from participation in informal STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) learning (ISL), this paper argues that the sector would benefit from an approach that foregrounds equity and social justice outcomes. We propose a new model for…

Theoretical roots of higher education institutions (HEIs) and Stakeholder Analysis date back to mid-1990s and research was focussed on the role of HEIs in society and sustainable development. While various studies have been published about 'triple-helix model' - bringing government, academia, and industry closer, the concept of HEIs and…

This article discusses how the authors' 'Science Hunters' suite of projects uses the computer game Minecraft to engage children, particularly those from underrepresented groups, with STEM. Delivered by environmental scientists, Science Hunters projects link to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through offering inclusive…

The Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) has created a free resource designed to raise awareness of diversity in science-related jobs and to provide illustrated examples of a wide range of science. based careers. "A scientist just like me" consists of a series of short slideshows, each one 'telling the story' of a particular scientist…

The overrepresentation of independently educated athletes amongst Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics was described as 'One of the worst statistics in British sport'. Whilst the ensuing debate referred to independent schools "en masse," the sector is far from homogenous. Within the UK independent (private) sector, a small subset of…

The United Kingdom's (UK) goal of a 20% increase in participation of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups in higher education (HE) by 2020 has not been met. Pakistani and Bangladeshi students are some of the most underrepresented BAME groups in UK HE institutions. This systematic review included 20 papers that identified barriers and…

Legislation such as the Equality Act 2010 has ensured that considerable progress has been made in tackling discrimination in relation to the 8 protected characteristics that are defined in law. UK HEIs are well-versed in monitoring the diversity of their workforce and ensuring that recruitment is compliant with the legislation. However as HEIs…