Decolonizing the English Literature Curriculum: A Critical Analysis of Italian Upper Secondary School Textbooks

This study investigates the extent to which processes of decolonizing the English literature curriculum are reflected in Italian upper secondary education. Situated within recent debates on postcolonial studies, decolonial theory, and curriculum reform, it focuses on the role of English literature textbooks in shaping the literary canon, cultural hierarchies, and representations of colonial and postcolonial worlds, with the aim of challenging Eurocentric knowledge production. To this end, the study first presents a theoretical framework that provides the foundation for a critical reading of educational materials through a decolonial lens. This framework examines the emergence of certain constructs underlying the colonial gaze, as well as debates on terminological issues and reflections on the political and institutional aspects that influence curriculum design and textbook production. Building on this foundation, the analysis focuses on English literature textbooks adopted in upper secondary schools in the Province of Modena, examining the most widely used manuals for the 2025/2026 school year through both quantitative and qualitative criteria. On the one hand, it investigates patterns of inclusion and exclusion by examining the extent to which authors, texts, and cultural contexts are represented in the textbooks. On the other hand, it analyses how these aspects are framed, considering both textual content and paratextual elements such as introductions, images, and other didactic apparatuses. The findings indicate the presence of emerging signals of openness toward a more inclusive curriculum. However, these remain marginal and secondary to a predominantly traditional and Eurocentric canon. Colonial and postcolonial perspectives, indeed, are often presented in limited or supplementary ways rather than being fully integrated into the core narrative of English literary history. The analysis of these materials thus aims to contribute to the debate on curriculum and textbook design, highlighting the need for an even more inclusive approach to the teaching of Anglophone literature in Italian secondary schools, and proposing concrete suggestions for developing fully integrated decolonized textbooks.