Highlighting the Contributions of Marginalized Chemists in the Chemistry Curriculum

There is widespread interest in diversifying and decolonizing the chemistry curricula in higher education. However, this is not reflected in the curricula taught to students prior to coming to university. We describe the results of an online survey of 185 secondary school/college teachers and students (>18 years) and, separately, 79 members of the public (of all ages) in the United Kingdom on their knowledge of historical chemists and scientists. The results of the survey revealed a notable disparity in recognition between White male scientists and scientists from African American and other backgrounds. Almost 90% of the respondents to our online survey said that the contributions of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) scientists are not highlighted adequately in the English national curriculum. Furthermore, over 85% of the participants believed that the national curriculum should be revised to include the achievements of underrepresented scientists. We describe how we addressed this by cocreating (with undergraduate students) teacher resources to highlight the contributions of underrepresented scientists and the feedback received. Overall, our research underscores the need for a more inclusive approach to teaching chemistry in secondary schools and colleges. It highlights the demand for a curriculum that recognizes and celebrates the significant contributions made by scientists from diverse backgrounds.