Towards a DAARES (Decolonizing, Accessible, Anti-Racist, Equitable, and Sustainable) Introductory Psychology Class

Background Research supports the role of inclusive instructor teaching practices in promoting student engagement, belonging, and success in psychology. Socially marginalized students may show lower attainment in these areas in part due to the emphasis placed on Western and colonial models of the curriculum. Objective The purposes of this study were to assess students’ perceptions of the degree to which their Introductory Psychology (Intro) courses were decolonizing, accessible, anti-racist, equitable, and sustainable (DAARES); measure the extent to which these characteristics predict student belonging, sense of psychological membership, learning outcomes, and critical consciousness; and examine differences between marginalized and non-marginalized students. Method Six-hundred forty-five undergraduate students recruited from multiple U.S. institutions of higher education who had completed Intro within the past two years participated in an online survey. Results Students endorsed moderate to high levels of DAARES teaching delivered by their instructors. DAARES teaching predicted higher levels of each outcome variable. For critical consciousness, DAARES teaching and participant marginalized identity were both significant predictors. DAARES teaching predicted greater increases in critical consciousness among non-marginalized students. Conclusion DAARES teaching practices can promote student success and should be implemented by Intro instructors and their institutions.