Making science inclusive and relevant for all

As our world becomes ever more technical and global, everyone has a stake in science. We need to enable our young people from all backgrounds to not only value the science they are learning in the classroom, but to see how their future can shape, and be shaped by, science. ASE have successfully led the Inclusion in Schools and Inclusion in Science programmes, which have shown how inclusive awareness and practice can encourage uptake of science by students who are currently under-represented.

One way to encourage this is to show how people from diverse backgrounds have contributed to the development of science. This will also go some way to challenging and addressing historical, colonial and patriarchal systemic biases that are embedded within scientific practices, theories and education.

The scope for introducing new characters and more stories in our overcrowded curriculum is limited, and our time is limited too, so to support you in developing a fairer, more representative curriculum, here is a growing catalogue of resources across the curriculum highlighting contributions from diverse scientists which will broaden students’ perspective and understanding of who a scientist is.

Would you like to make a suggestion of someone to focus on? Please email us at info@ase.org.uk with your recommendation, plus any supporting resources to help us get started.

To develop your knowledge and understanding of how to science more inclusive, do look out for ASE Included: Secondary, a 6 module CPD programme focussing on key aspects of inclusive practice.

Biology

• Evolution and Natural Selection: John Edmonstone – ‘the man who taught Darwin taxidermy’.