Challenges of a decolonial undertaking in teacher education

Abstract

As Brazilian university teachers, we have taken part in some courses aimed at the professional development of in-service English teachers. However, inspired by decolonial thinking, we have seen them as reproducing logics of coloniality, an epistemological frame which hierarchizes human beings socially, ontologically and epistemically. Thus, in an attempt to fight the coloniality and power established between universities and schools, in 2016, we set up a study group-a space where we, English teachers in Goiás, could talk about our profession. Our aim in this interpretive study is to discuss initial challenges of this decolonial undertaking. We do so by focusing on attendance and agency. The reflections made in this article indicate that our expectation to expand our praxis was achieved somehow, but we consider it was jeopardized due to poor attendance and lack of agency. We conclude with some following moves to challenge coloniality in educational projects.

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