ABSTRACT
The Westernization of education in postcolonial contexts is examined in this chapter. Undertaken in Hawai’i, the research examines how Westernization shows itself in my secondary English classroom. The research used the sociocultural theories of Vygotsky, Said, and Kallen and the philosophy of cultural pluralism. A convenience sample of 34 people, including the author, her students, and her supervisor was used for the selection process. Data were gathered through self, student, and supervisor surveys, recorded student observations in the classroom, and a document analysis of the course curriculum. The findings indicate that the curriculum, educational setting, and pedagogical approaches are all impacted by the postcolonial milieu of Hawai’i. Despite the school’s continued Westernization, attempts were made to decolonize the curriculum and methods of instruction. The research comes to the following conclusions: cultural heterogeneity challenges the continuation of Westernization, colonialism is still evident in the Hawai’i education system under investigation, yet teaching techniques reflect attempts to decolonize education. Future studies must look at practical strategies for decolonizing curriculum and advancing cultural plurality in classrooms to achieve UNESCO’s sustainable education objectives. Teachers must be aware of their practices and the system that their curriculum drives.
