Contesting Coloniality in the International Baccalaureate: Educational Insights From an International School in Costa Rica

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 3:20 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: (De)Coloniality of Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education (Table 4)

Abstract

This paper offers insights and possibilities for educational efforts that seek to challenge coloniality, while also elucidating the inherent complexities of such possibilities. The study takes place at an international high school in Costa Rica that seeks to make education “a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.” It is a Spanish-English bilingual campus that uses the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum and serves students from over seventy nationalities, placing it in a unique position to challenge coloniality by educating across cultural and epistemic differences. Findings show how teachers understand the presence of coloniality in the IB curriculum and how they seek to address it in their classrooms.

Author

• Kyle Kopsick, University of Colorado - Boulder