Other decolonial paths for research in comparative education

Abstract

Comparative  education  is  a  field  of  study  that  proposes  to  analyze  the formulation  and  implementation  of  educational  policies,  programs,  and systems. In scientific production in comparative education in Latin America, two   different   narratives   can   be   identified:   One   that   is   guided   by transnationalization and promotes a common framework to influence public policies of national education systems, with a great influence of international organizations  and,  on  the  other  hand,  a  critical  narrative  to  that  model  and that is proposed decolonial. Coloniality is based on the historical imposition of classification of people based on the Eurocentric vision, which went on to classify and define each of the dimensions of individual and social existence. With the naturalization of this process of domination and the hegemony of the discourses, the forms of coloniality of power, of being and of knowledge are established, which, at present, aiming at maintaining the structures of power from the establishment of a unique pattern of knowledge, of seeing the world and ourselves. This text aims to explain the differences between the two trends in the field of studies in comparative education, as opposed to a hegemonic perspective  of  international  organizations  to  a  perspective  thatin  their proposal and work brings other possibilities of knowledge production in Latin America, with influence for the educational policies of the region. To achieve the  proposed  objective,  a  bibliographic  review  of  the  field  of  comparative education,  focused  on  the  epistemological  discussion,  it  was  conducted  in contrast   to   the   approach   given   by   studies   promoted   by   international organizations  to  an  approach  based  on  cultural  studies  and  decolonial thinking,  present  in  postgraduate  programs  in  education  inthe  region.  It  is concluded  that  a  decolonial  perspective  for  comparative  education  research means  more  than  "What  we  can  learn  from  each  other"  and  less  "What  can others teach us?"