“I haven't thought about it before”: STEM researchers' views on decolonization with examples from Canada, Europe and New Zealand

Purpose This paper examines how researchers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) working in academic institutions in Canada, Europe and New Zealand understand colonialism and decolonization. Design/methodology/approach For this exploratory study, we adopted a qualitative research approach and conducted interviews with 33 researchers in STEM fields. We then applied thematic analysis to the data, interpreting participants' understandings through theoretical frameworks of imperialism and colonialism. Findings Our results indicate that STEM researchers' understandings of decolonization are shaped by the colonial histories and institutional contexts of their respective countries. Furthermore, we find that while the dissemination of knowledge about Indigenous communities appears to increase engagement with the topic, it often overlooks the issue of land repatriation. Across all country contexts, we also observe a tendency to conflate decolonization with broader social justice concerns. Originality/value Rather than attempting to define decolonization, this paper seeks to examine how researchers in STEM fields understand the concept and how these understandings align with, or diverge from, theories of colonialism and imperialism. Building on these findings, we aim to contribute to a critical reflection on the aims and outcomes of awareness-raising efforts within academia regarding colonialism.