Decolonising the curriculum: common sense, threshold concepts, and epistemic injustice.
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| Title: | Decolonising the curriculum: common sense, threshold concepts, and epistemic injustice. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Stopford, Richard1 (AUTHOR) r.j.stopford@durham.ac.uk |
| Source: | Higher Education (00181560). Sep2025, Vol. 90 Issue 3, p861-879. 19p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Threshold concepts (Learning), *Curriculum change, *Education theory, *Critical self-reflection, *Students, *Cultural awareness, *Teaching methods, Cognitive bias |
| Abstract: | In Onthe Affective Threshold of Power and Privilege (2023), Julie Rattray reflects on the impact of decolonising the curriculum (DtC) on threshold concept (TC) theory. In this paper, I focus on student troublesomeness in the context of DtC—troublesomeness being a key dimension in TC. I argue that such difficulty requires a bespoke analysis as it involves complex entanglements of politics, existential experiences, and epistemic difficulties. The result is twofold. First, these difficulties cannot be overcome using standard epistemic and pedagogical methods precisely because they arise out of tensions between decolonial, material, and hegemonic culture and pedagogical practices. Indeed, even where conceptual material is involved, students' difficulty with that material cannot be properly characterised in terms of "acquisition"—the dominant model in educational theory, and TC specifically. Second, I argue that hegemonic student troublesomeness is necessary, desirable, and ongoing in these contexts. Again, this puts pressure on pedagogical commitments in TC. I mobilise my analysis through my teaching of Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí's decolonial gender theory. I then draw upon Wittgenstein and Gramsci to elaborate the existential and political vectors of the problematics of students' difficulty. I then draw specifically on Kristie Dotson's work to think through these dynamics in the context of epistemic injustice. The paper concludes with practical strategies for educators to manage and embrace student troublesomeness, advocating for an approach that prioritises cultural understanding and existential reflection over traditional epistemic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Higher Education (00181560) is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 188452302 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Decolonising the curriculum: common sense, threshold concepts, and epistemic injustice. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Stopford%2C+Richard%22">Stopford, Richard</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> r.j.stopford@durham.ac.uk</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Higher+Education+%2800181560%29%22">Higher Education (00181560)</searchLink>. Sep2025, Vol. 90 Issue 3, p861-879. 19p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Threshold+concepts+%28Learning%29%22">Threshold concepts (Learning)</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum+change%22">Curriculum change</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Education+theory%22">Education theory</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Critical+self-reflection%22">Critical self-reflection</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Students%22">Students</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+awareness%22">Cultural awareness</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+methods%22">Teaching methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognitive+bias%22">Cognitive bias</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: In Onthe Affective Threshold of Power and Privilege (2023), Julie Rattray reflects on the impact of decolonising the curriculum (DtC) on threshold concept (TC) theory. In this paper, I focus on student troublesomeness in the context of DtC—troublesomeness being a key dimension in TC. I argue that such difficulty requires a bespoke analysis as it involves complex entanglements of politics, existential experiences, and epistemic difficulties. The result is twofold. First, these difficulties cannot be overcome using standard epistemic and pedagogical methods precisely because they arise out of tensions between decolonial, material, and hegemonic culture and pedagogical practices. Indeed, even where conceptual material is involved, students' difficulty with that material cannot be properly characterised in terms of "acquisition"—the dominant model in educational theory, and TC specifically. Second, I argue that hegemonic student troublesomeness is necessary, desirable, and ongoing in these contexts. Again, this puts pressure on pedagogical commitments in TC. I mobilise my analysis through my teaching of Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí's decolonial gender theory. I then draw upon Wittgenstein and Gramsci to elaborate the existential and political vectors of the problematics of students' difficulty. I then draw specifically on Kristie Dotson's work to think through these dynamics in the context of epistemic injustice. The paper concludes with practical strategies for educators to manage and embrace student troublesomeness, advocating for an approach that prioritises cultural understanding and existential reflection over traditional epistemic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Higher Education (00181560) is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=188452302 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1007/s10734-024-01354-3 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 19 StartPage: 861 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Threshold concepts (Learning) Type: general – SubjectFull: Curriculum change Type: general – SubjectFull: Education theory Type: general – SubjectFull: Critical self-reflection Type: general – SubjectFull: Students Type: general – SubjectFull: Cultural awareness Type: general – SubjectFull: Teaching methods Type: general – SubjectFull: Cognitive bias Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Decolonising the curriculum: common sense, threshold concepts, and epistemic injustice. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Stopford, Richard IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 09 Text: Sep2025 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00181560 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 90 – Type: issue Value: 3 Titles: – TitleFull: Higher Education (00181560) Type: main |
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