Reviewing course design to support pre-service teachers’ learning around inclusivity and intersectionality

Abstract

In this paper, we outline how we reviewed and evaluated the content of an undergraduate module on a teacher training degree and demonstrate how critical evaluation of practice informed new understanding, strategies and approaches in teacher education and development. The national and local context for this change is significant. Alongside the responsibilities under the Equality Act (2010), the Political Impartiality in Schools document (2022) forbids the promotion of partisan political views but fails to recognise the nuances when discussing sensitive issues. When this work took place, the city of Bristol, in which the university is situated, was in crisis; it was a time of social and political change in Bristol that drew global attention. This paper will highlight the complexities of supporting and equipping trainee teachers to train and work in a city where Colston’s statue was toppled; the aftermath of Kill the Bill riots and the rise in hate crimes towards the LGBTQ+ community in the city.