Integrating epistemic justice in science education: Lessons from health professions.
Session Type
Plenary
Room
The Great Hall, Somerville House (room 3326)
Start Date
16-7-2025 9:00 AM
End Date
16-7-2025 10:30 AM
Keywords
Epistemic Justice, Health Professional Education, Science Education, Cultural Humility, Inclusive Research Practices
Primary Threads
Teaching and Learning Science
Abstract
Background: Decolonizing health professional education requires challenging the dominance of Western scientific frameworks. Western epistemologies are implicitly privileged as the standard for "best evidence" (Hlabangane, 2022), marginalizing Indigenous and diverse knowledge systems. This perpetuates "cognitive imperialism," where non-European epistemologies are stolen and silenced by the academy (Battiste, 2018). Teaching epistemic justice enables health professional students to critically engage with diverse knowledge systems, fostering cultural humility in their evidence-based practice. This approach encourages students to develop critical, transferable skills that support lifelong engagement with diverse knowledge systems.
Aim: This project evaluates the effectiveness of an epistemic justice learning module in fostering health professional students’ ability to recognize bias in academic research and engage with diverse knowledge systems. Delivered to approximately 650 nursing, health sciences, and medical students at Western University, the module emphasizes critical reflection on power, privilege, and epistemic injustice.
Methods: We implemented a six-lesson framework: (1) Positionality, Power, and Privilege, (2) Epistemic Injustice, (3) Knowledge Justice, (4) Searching in the Age of AI, (5) Evaluating Sources, and (6) Applying a Health Professional Lens. Disciplinary-specific case studies ground learning in clinical practice.
Outcomes: This presentation will share preliminary findings on the module’s impact on student learning.
Conclusion: Using an epistemic justice lens ensures that students and faculty see themselves represented in the curriculum, fostering inclusive and sustainable learning. To further this work, an Open Educational Resource (OER) is in development to expand access to this module to the broader academic community, including science and health professional educators.
Elements of Engagement
We will use various approaches to share the materials we have developed (i.e., videos). We will ask the audience critically reflective questions about their current teaching and research practices.
Integrating epistemic justice in science education: Lessons from health professions.
The Great Hall, Somerville House (room 3326)
Background: Decolonizing health professional education requires challenging the dominance of Western scientific frameworks. Western epistemologies are implicitly privileged as the standard for "best evidence" (Hlabangane, 2022), marginalizing Indigenous and diverse knowledge systems. This perpetuates "cognitive imperialism," where non-European epistemologies are stolen and silenced by the academy (Battiste, 2018). Teaching epistemic justice enables health professional students to critically engage with diverse knowledge systems, fostering cultural humility in their evidence-based practice. This approach encourages students to develop critical, transferable skills that support lifelong engagement with diverse knowledge systems.
Aim: This project evaluates the effectiveness of an epistemic justice learning module in fostering health professional students’ ability to recognize bias in academic research and engage with diverse knowledge systems. Delivered to approximately 650 nursing, health sciences, and medical students at Western University, the module emphasizes critical reflection on power, privilege, and epistemic injustice.
Methods: We implemented a six-lesson framework: (1) Positionality, Power, and Privilege, (2) Epistemic Injustice, (3) Knowledge Justice, (4) Searching in the Age of AI, (5) Evaluating Sources, and (6) Applying a Health Professional Lens. Disciplinary-specific case studies ground learning in clinical practice.
Outcomes: This presentation will share preliminary findings on the module’s impact on student learning.
Conclusion: Using an epistemic justice lens ensures that students and faculty see themselves represented in the curriculum, fostering inclusive and sustainable learning. To further this work, an Open Educational Resource (OER) is in development to expand access to this module to the broader academic community, including science and health professional educators.