Doing research from a decolonial stance is a beautiful and alluring endeavor, particularly when the researcher’s spirit is always searching to push the envelope, find ways to subvert the canon, and do things differently. This describes what has happened to us as dissertation advisers in our doctoral program. The initial excitement of starting a new journey (and the unforeseen struggles, tensions, and contradictions to come along the way) has been transformed into countless forms of learning while doing and learning together.
This chapter, which results from a formative research process in which the three of us and our advisees have taken part, will be divided into three main sections. In the first one, we will discuss the meta-analysis of our chapters for the previous book on Methodological Uncertainties of Research in ELT I (Castañeda- Peña, 2020) to show what our concerns were at the time. The second part will be devoted to underscoring our epistemological reflexivity as research mentors as we discuss, delve into, and try to make sense of what a decolonial stance would look like. In the last section, we will set out some challenges as we continue navigating these uncharted waters to bring ways of understanding, informing, shaping, and reshaping the field of ELT.