Curricular Justice and Educational Inequalities in Emerging Learning Environments

Abstract

The objective of this article is to analyze, from the perspective of curricular justice, the educational and discursive practices, as well as the challenges encountered during remote teaching, by four students and four teachers from a telesecundaria (a type of secondary education in Mexico) in a marginalized community in southern Yucatán, Mexico. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach based on a case study design, which included in-depth interviews, observations, and content analysis of instructional materials and guidelines proposed by educational authorities. The results demonstrate the commitment of educators to engage with students through various means, as well as to safeguard their mental and physical well-being in order to sustain the educational process. However, it is evident that official initiatives tended to focus exclusively on the digitalization of information without appropriate adaptation to the emergent situation, thereby undermining fundamental principles of educational justice such as affordability, accessibility, adaptability, and acceptability. This situation highlights a significant gap between policy and social reality. The study concludes that a hegemonic curricular project prevails, perpetuating knowledge production mechanisms that sustain coloniality and exacerbate existing educational and social inequalities.