Abstract
Purpose:
To examine what Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) interventions have been successful in higher education.
To describe the key drivers, theories and philosophical underpinnings for, types of interventions, groups of the population that have been the focus, evidence of experiences and effectiveness of EDI interventions.
Background:
EDI is an important consideration in higher education in the UK and globally, directly linking to accessibility, retention and success of both students and staff. Moreover, the concept of EDI also facilitates students’ transition into higher education. Given its impact, fostering and embedding EDI principles within higher educational practice is both necessary and worthwhile.
As understanding of the diverse needs and experiences of students and staff continues to grow, interventions aimed at raising awareness and promoting engagement with core principles of EDI in theory and in educational practice need to be developed and evaluated.
Methods:
An umbrella review was undertaken between February–March 2024. The search was conducted in PubMed, ERIC, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsychINFO, British Education Index, Cochrane library. Four reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts. Disagreements were solved via discussion. Eligible papers were any type of literature review of EDI interventions in higher education, published in English language. Grey literature was not included.
Data was extracted using pre-designed standardised table in Microsoft Excel. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) was completed for each included study. The Theory Coding Scheme was used to describe the theoretical basis of interventions. Findings were narratively summarised. 14 articles were included for the analysis.
Findings:
EDI interventions cover a range of themes: inclusive curriculum, diversity courses, communication skills training and information and communication technologies (ICTs). Targeted groups of the interventions were: Higher education staff (n=7); students (n=5) and both (n=2)
The effectiveness of EDI interventions was variable. The concepts of digital divide and digital exclusion were reported as problems that hinder inclusive curriculum. The diversity courses were found to have mixed results due to biases in included studies. Communication skills training proved effective for international students on clinical placements. ICTs proved effective to support students with dyslexia.
Conclusions:
The strength of the current evidence is limited, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions about which interventions are most effective. Theories and philosophical underpinnings were diverse and were often not reported. Drivers were reported as concerned with law, policy, and best practice in education for inclusion. Given that EDI is a fluid and context-dependent concept, it may be unproductive to focus on ‘interventions’ to address certain groups of students (or staff). Instead, broader frameworks—such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL)—may offer a more effective, inclusive foundation for supporting students’ transition into higher education.
To examine what Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) interventions have been successful in higher education.
To describe the key drivers, theories and philosophical underpinnings for, types of interventions, groups of the population that have been the focus, evidence of experiences and effectiveness of EDI interventions.
Background:
EDI is an important consideration in higher education in the UK and globally, directly linking to accessibility, retention and success of both students and staff. Moreover, the concept of EDI also facilitates students’ transition into higher education. Given its impact, fostering and embedding EDI principles within higher educational practice is both necessary and worthwhile.
As understanding of the diverse needs and experiences of students and staff continues to grow, interventions aimed at raising awareness and promoting engagement with core principles of EDI in theory and in educational practice need to be developed and evaluated.
Methods:
An umbrella review was undertaken between February–March 2024. The search was conducted in PubMed, ERIC, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsychINFO, British Education Index, Cochrane library. Four reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts. Disagreements were solved via discussion. Eligible papers were any type of literature review of EDI interventions in higher education, published in English language. Grey literature was not included.
Data was extracted using pre-designed standardised table in Microsoft Excel. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) was completed for each included study. The Theory Coding Scheme was used to describe the theoretical basis of interventions. Findings were narratively summarised. 14 articles were included for the analysis.
Findings:
EDI interventions cover a range of themes: inclusive curriculum, diversity courses, communication skills training and information and communication technologies (ICTs). Targeted groups of the interventions were: Higher education staff (n=7); students (n=5) and both (n=2)
The effectiveness of EDI interventions was variable. The concepts of digital divide and digital exclusion were reported as problems that hinder inclusive curriculum. The diversity courses were found to have mixed results due to biases in included studies. Communication skills training proved effective for international students on clinical placements. ICTs proved effective to support students with dyslexia.
Conclusions:
The strength of the current evidence is limited, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions about which interventions are most effective. Theories and philosophical underpinnings were diverse and were often not reported. Drivers were reported as concerned with law, policy, and best practice in education for inclusion. Given that EDI is a fluid and context-dependent concept, it may be unproductive to focus on ‘interventions’ to address certain groups of students (or staff). Instead, broader frameworks—such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL)—may offer a more effective, inclusive foundation for supporting students’ transition into higher education.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 21 Aug 2025 |
| Event | International Conference on Educational and Life Transitions (ICELT) - Online event, Dundee, United Kingdom Duration: 21 Aug 2025 → 23 Aug 2025 https://www.meetdundeecityregion.co.uk/attending/conferences/icelt-conference-2025 (International Conference on Educational and Life Transitions (ICELT) information) |
Conference
| Conference | International Conference on Educational and Life Transitions (ICELT) |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | ICELT |
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| City | Dundee |
| Period | 21/08/25 → 23/08/25 |
| Internet address |
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