The penetration and deepening of Bolivia's decolonization policy in education: an analysis of textbooks and teachers' awareness

Abstract

This study examines how Bolivia's decolonization policy in education has penetrated newly published national textbooks (2025) and classroom practices, focusing on the implementation of intra-culturality, interculturality, plurilingualism and depatriarchalization under the Basic Education Law. A qualitative design was employed. Sixty-three primary and secondary textbooks were analyzed using keyword coding related to coloniality (power, knowledge and being) and policy values. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 teachers from six schools in urban and peri-urban areas of La Paz. The textbooks systematically embed decolonization discourse, particularly through Indigenous histories, intra-culturality and critiques of colonial oppression, with strongest emphasis on the coloniality of knowledge. They also encourage critical reflection through open-ended pedagogical activities, suggesting potential to address coloniality of being. Teacher interviews revealed strengthened cultural identity, mother-tongue promotion and some community-based practices, yet implementation remains uneven due to limited teacher training, contextual disparities and tensions between Indigenous revitalization and Western-oriented aspirations. This study has several limitations. The relatively small regional sample may limit generalizability. In addition, textbook analysis relied mainly on keyword-based coding of explicit terminology, which may have overlooked implicit decolonial content. Future research should expand regional scope, incorporate classroom observation and apply broader analytical frameworks. The study integrates textbook analysis and teacher perceptions within a unified coloniality framework, providing rare empirical evidence from school-level practice in a Global South context.