This relatively small-scale study is the first to pose the question as to the difference that the quality of academic leadership can make to the attainment levels of black and ethnic minority (BME) students. With the aid of in-depth interviews and a survey, the study has started to build a picture of the underexplored relationship between leadership and BME outcomes. It finds that leadership style is one of the top four factors out of 14 that BME students believe influence their academic achievement (alongside motivation, fair treatment and fair assessment) and highlights the significant role that inclusive leadership could play in closing gaps. It paves the way for further research into the association between academic leadership behaviours and BME student productivity, motivation and well-being.
The study was led by Gloria Moss of Bucks New University and team members included Ceri Sims (also of Bucks New University) and Nona McDuff and John Tatum both of Kingston University.
