Fiona Hartley, Bristol Institute for Learning and Teaching
A couple of months ago, I had the privilege of attending a thought-provoking talk hosted by the School of Education, where Dr Elvis Imafidon spoke on ‘Inclusive Pedagogies’. His insights on Ubuntu philosophy and its application in educational contexts were both powerful and eye-opening. While ‘ubuntu’ is difficult to translate directly into English, it can be found in many languages in sub-Saharan Africa (Ngubane and Makua, 2021). The roots of the word ‘ubuntu’ are connected to the idea of ‘humanness’ or ‘being humane’. Much of the literature on Ubuntu pedagogy includes concepts such as compassion, co-existence, respect and dialogue all of which can promote more inclusive learning environments (Devenage, 2025). While these concepts are not new to us, it was refreshing to be provided with a different non- Western lens through which we can rethink how we design learning environments that truly embrace and reflect the diversity of our students. Imafidon outlined three underlying principles of Ubuntu philosophy that I have tried to connect to our own practice to support all our students to thrive.
Principle 1: Relationality
Relationality relates to recognising our self and others and building relationships with each other. We do not exist in the world on our own, but we co-exist not only with our natural environment, but with the people around us. In order to co-exist we need to respect each other and the diverse backgrounds we come from so that we can develop our knowledge together – ‘I am because we are’, reminds us that learning is relational. By interacting with others we come to understand ourselves and develop our identities.
What does this mean for teaching?
Creating opportunities for active learning through collaborative tasks allows students to express their own viewpoints and engage with diverse perspectives from their peers. Through problem solving tasks or discussions, knowledge can be shared, which can in turn promote better learning communities among students. Carefully explained rationale and expectations of collaborative tasks will support students in engaging with them, as we cannot assume that all our students will be familiar with this way of learning, and indeed be comfortable with this.
Relationality does not only mean the relations between students. When we consider Quinlan’s (2016) relationships, students relationships with teacher and subject matter are also emphasised – by showing your energy and enthusiasm for your subject area, or connecting topics to students lived experiences you can promote more engagement and potentially improve attendance. Students in our longitudinal BILT study on transitions have stated that when they can see the lecturer is enthused and demonstrates a love of their subject and relates it to them, they are more likely to attend the live sessions.
Principle 2: Fluidity
Ubuntu philosophy recognises that there are new forms of being and that we may be something at different times. Our roles in life are often changing or fluid, they are not static. At certain times we may be the ‘knower’ and at others the ‘learner’, or we may be the ‘creator’ or ‘user’ of knowledge. Advances in technology mean that our students have more access to knowledge which may influence how our in class teaching looks.
What does this mean for teaching?
We should provide opportunities for students to co-create knowledge with us. Encourage them to explore areas of interest and bring this knowledge and their own perspectives to the learning space. All of which can support them in preparing for the world beyond university. ‘The students of tomorrow won’t just cross borders – they’ll redefine them. Our job isn’t to prepare them for the world as it is, but for the world they’ll create and lead’ (Gitsaki, 2025).
Principle 3: Difference
As Imafidon (2025) said – ‘to be is to be different’. We need to accept there are different ways of representing knowledge and to be more inclusive of our diverse cohorts we need to draw on their experiences as well. As we develop our learning outcomes and the activities we are developing to achieve them, we need to be mindful of whose knowledge we are representing – are we making space to allow other voices to be heard, bringing in dialogue, compassion and dignity? In the World Economic Forum’s – Future of Jobs report for 2025 – empathy and active listening were rated as core employability skills. But how do we promote these in our learning spaces? McKinley et al (2018) write about a ‘third space’ where students are supported to feel comfortable to be themselves and learn about each other and respect different ways of knowing. This moves us away from ‘universal knowledge’ to ‘pluriversality’, respecting different ways of knowing.
What does this mean for teaching?
We need to build trust in our cohorts by making time for students to get to know each other both in and outside the classroom. We should provide opportunities for them to share aspects of their backgrounds or identities that can promote better more inclusive working relationships to become global citizens.
Going forward
These principles are not just philosophical—they’re deeply practical. They challenge us to design learning experiences that are not only inclusive but also deeply human. By embedding Ubuntu values into our pedagogy, we can create classrooms where every student feels they belong, and where learning becomes a shared, transformative experience.
If we want all students to thrive and improve retention and attainment, we need to think of ways to develop relationality, feel comfortable with fluidity and embrace difference. I would love to hear how you are doing this in your practice.
References
Duvenage, A. 2025. Realising pedagogical love through Ubuntu: cultivating inclusion and undoing coloniality for pluriversity. In E. Vanderheiden, C. H. Mayer, & A. M. F. Barcelos (Eds.), Pedagogical Love in Adult Education: Nurturing Learning, Growth and Transformation (pp. 247–262). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-82046-5_13
Gitsaki, C. 2025. Navigating Belonging and Employability: Transnational Education in the Age of AI. Presentation 4th June 2025
Imafidon, E. 2025. ‘Ubuntu Philosophy, Collaborative Pedagogy and Inclusive Educational Practices’ Presentation at Bristol’s School of Education 7th May 2025
McKinley, J. et al. 2018. ‘Developing intercultural competence in a ‘comfortable’ third space: postgraduate studies in the UK’, Language and Intercultural Communication, 19(1), pp. 9–22. doi: 10.1080/14708477.2018.1545028.
Ngubane, N.I. & Makua, M., 2021, ‘Intersection of Ubuntu pedagogy and social justice: Transforming South African higher education’, Transformation in Higher Education 6(0), a113. https:// doi.org/10.4102/the.v6i0.113
Quinlan, K.M. 2016. How emotion matters in four key relationships in teaching and learning in higher education. College Teaching, 64(3), pp.101-111.
