L’épistémologie des sciences comme outil de décolonisation du savoir : enjeux pour l’éducation en Haïti

Abstract

This article examines how the epistemology of science can serve as a tool for the decolonization of knowledge in the Haitian educational system, which since 1804 has been marked by the persistence of Eurocentric structures that prioritize French and marginalize Creole and local knowledge. The study is based on a qualitative approach combining literature review, case studies of educational initiatives such as Anseye Pou Ayiti and the MIT-Haiti Initiative, and fifteen semi-structured interviews with teachers and program directors. The data are interpreted in light of three complementary paradigms: positivism for its methodological rigor, constructivism for the integration of indigenous knowledge, and pragmatism for its practical solutions. The results show that the U.S. occupation and subsequent authoritarian regimes reinforced a coloniality of knowledge that excluded Haitian sociocultural realities, whereas initiatives such as Anseye Pou Ayiti demonstrate the feasibility of a decolonial education grounded in Creole, the valorization of local knowledge, and participatory pedagogies. Finally, the article proposes a mixed-methods approach to co-construct knowledge rooted in Haitian culture, with recommendations regarding teacher training, the production of textbooks in Creole, and institutional support for decolonial education.