Étude de l’enseignement de la philosophie au secondaire en Haïti: analyse des approches didactiques utilisées

analysis of the didactic approaches used

Abstract

In Haitian upper-secondary education, philosophy teaching remains largely shaped by a transmission-oriented pedagogy focused on content recall, despite the growing prominence of constructivist paradigms and competency-based education in contemporary educational research. This article examines the didactic approaches actually used in philosophy classrooms and clarifies the conditions for a shift toward teaching students to “do philosophy” (problematisation, conceptualisation, and argumentation). The study combines a theoretical discussion (behaviourism vs socio-constructivism) with fieldwork conducted across six schools, drawing on a questionnaire administered to 53 students and semi-structured interviews with philosophy teachers and school leaders. Findings point to the near-exclusive reliance on canonical philosophical texts, limited availability of diversified teaching resources, and widespread student difficulties linked to highly conceptual language, an overload of authors/notions, and time constraints due to the late introduction of philosophy in the curriculum. Both students and staff express a strong preference for more interactive strategies (debate, group work), the use of varied materials, and stronger connections to students’ lived realities. The article’s contribution is to translate these empirical insights into actionable recommendations for curricular sequencing and classroom practice consistent with competency development and socio-constructivist learning principles.