Improvement Science as Decolonizing Praxis: Shifting Decolonization from Discourse to Action

• In Event: Reparative Educational Futures: Reimagining Futures through Historical Consciousness and Anti-Colonial Praxis

Abstract

In former colonial territories, educational systems remain deeply shaped by the enduring legacies of colonialism. From curriculum and pedagogy to language of instruction, colonial power structures continue to manifest in educational policy and practice (Apple, 2004; Ndlovu-Gatsheni, 2013; Smith, 2021). Decolonizing education, then, is not a destination but an ongoing process that seeks to re-center Indigenous knowledge systems, dismantle Eurocentric hierarchies, and interrupt coloniality (Césaire, 1950; Quijano, 2007). However, despite more than a century of calls to decolonize, large-scale systemic change remains elusive, particularly in the global South, where the decolonial turn often remains theoretical and discursive (Mbembe, 2016; Tuck & Yang, 2012). In parallel, the last decade has seen a rise in the use of improvement science (IS) as a practical methodology to address problems of practice in education. Grounded in iterative, practitioner-led inquiry, IS emphasizes that sustainable change must come from within systems, especially by those closest to the problem (Bryk et al., 2015; Hinnant-Crawford, 2025). Through cycles of inquiry, Plan-Do-Study-Act teams test change ideas before deciding to adopt, adapt, or abandon them. Despite its promise, critics argue that improvement science often remains technocratic and superficial, falling short of dismantling systemic inequities (Safir & Dugan, 2021). This paper merges the tenets of decolonizing educational leadership (Lopez, 2020; Khalifa et al., 2019) with principles of justice in improvement science (Hinnant-Crawford, 2020) to propose a framework for Improvement Science as Decolonizing Praxis. We argue that, when intentionally reframed, improvement science can support decolonial aims by centering Indigenous epistemologies, surfacing structural power, and challenging imposed hierarchies in education. We illustrate this through a case study from a rural community in Northern Ghana. Using data from eight months of interviews, video documentation, and organizational materials, we examine the work of Lahibali Theater Arts (LTA), a community-based organization that sought to counter the erasure of their language and culture in schools. Instead of relying on top-down solutions, LTA engaged in iterative collective inquiry to create a space where elders and youth could learn together in their Indigenous language, reclaiming cultural knowledge and agency. The framework developed from this case highlights how communities with limited resources and minimal state support can resist colonial logics and enact justice-oriented educational change. By integrating decolonial leadership with improvement science, this approach offers practical methods for shifting decolonial discourse into action, particularly in contexts still grappling with the residual and ongoing impacts of colonialism. As education systems worldwide contend with the persistence of colonial structures, this work underscores the urgency of coupling theory with method. We call for reimagining success not through test scores or externally imposed standards, but through the validation of Indigenous histories, languages, and knowledges. This framework offers actionable tools for scholars and practitioners committed to dismantling oppression and building educational futures grounded in justice and community sovereignty.

Author

• Edwin Nii Bonney, Clemson University