Actions for decolonizing higher education in the UK: a systematic narrative review of empirical studies

This systematic narrative review takes inspiration from a ‘integrative comparative literature review’ (Shahjahan et al., 2022, p. 75) that examined global decolonizing higher education. The authors of that paper call on researchers to examine research on practices across the disciplines by transcending these. I heed their call in this systematic narrative review by focusing this research on the UK higher education context to understand practical actions for undertaking decolonizing higher education. I approach the literature using a decolonial lens to justify the research before presenting the research questions and subsequent search strategies used before moving on to an analysis of the results. The methodology for this paper reflects my stance with respect to decolonizing education in that I set out my positionality as a researcher and recognize my inherently connected role in the research process. The key themes arising from a thematic analysis highlight the importance of 1) understanding decolonization as a concept, 2) views and actions arising from the empirical studies reviewed and 3) the barriers and challenges that academics face when undertaking projects related to decolonizing the curriculum within the UK HE context. In brief, this systematic narrative review contributes to the research by looking at how colleagues at different higher education institutions conceptualize and implement (more) decolonial practices while providing scope for further development of practice and research in this area.