Dr Yetunde Kolajo

Dr Yetunde Kolajo is a leader of initiatives to promote the inclusion of black and minoritised students at the University of Kent and she is committed to promoting student Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) both within the sector and at the institution. Her work focuses specifically on the nexus between teaching practices and student engagement. Her research addresses the sector-wide and institutional factors and barriers that trigger lower rates of attainment, continuation and progression amongst different student cohorts. Before joining Kent, Dr Kolajo worked as an academic tutor at Flinders University in Australia between 2017-2021. During that time, she taught postgraduate students in Master of Education and preservice teachers in their second and third undergraduate years.

Dr Kolajo has a Ph.D. in Science Education from Flinders University, Australia, as well as a Master in Education (MEd) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Dr Kolajo is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Currently, Dr Kolajo holds the position of Research Associate within Kent’s Education Directorate, spanning the Centre for the Study of Higher Education and Student Success Central team. A priority agenda within the Education Directorate is to promote student Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity, with Student Success being a significant part of this. The University caters to a diverse student population, and the Student Success Central team has gained valuable insights into the entrant profile over the past decade, identifying significant changes in this population and developing and managing interventions to support diverse students to succeed. As part of Dr Kolajo’s role in the research team, she carefully examines the Office for Student Access and Participation plan targets as well as national data on a wide range of related topics.

Dr Kolajo’s educational research is focused primarily on educators’ effective pedagogical choices, the development of self-regulated learning, and a growth mindset in students. She also has research interests in active and collaborative learning, the development of critical thinking in students, and student engagement in assessment and feedback processes. Dr Kolajo’s research interests are focused on the implementation of active learning and critical thinking strategies in classroom teaching. She is also concerned with ensuring that university curricula are inclusive in all academic areas. Her teaching focuses on active learning and student engagement.