Más allá del centro — guía pedagógica para una enseñanza bilingüe “Otra”

Abstract

This research examines the pedagogical practices of English teachers at the Universidad Abya Yala del Trópico from a decolonial and critical intercultural perspective, based on the implementation of Más Allá del Centro — Guía Pedagógica para una Enseñanza Bilingüe “Otra”, designed and produced by the researchers. Through a qualitative approach, this study focused on describing how teachers implement the guide and on investigating their experiences integrating decolonial and critical intercultural approaches in the classroom. Through interviews and narratives, teachers revealed diverse forms of appropriation of the material: adaptations of activities to make local knowledge visible; reinterpretation of content to challenge linguistic and cultural hierarchies; and reflective dynamics that problematize the coloniality of being, knowing, and learning in the classroom. Participants reported that the guide functions as a reflective tool and a catalyst for situated practices that prioritize cultural contextualization and epistemic justice. At the same time, tensions emerged related to constraints in English teaching imposed by standardized curricular frameworks and preexisting teaching resources that limit the deepening of these approaches. The findings indicate that, despite the challenges in implementing the guide, there is growing interest in adopting teaching practices that privilege local contexts over traditional external references. The study concludes that incorporating decolonial and critical intercultural perspectives through disruptive teaching materials contributes to a more inclusive, contextualized pedagogy, and recommends that teachers, exercising their agency, explore new initiatives aimed at “other” pedagogical practices.