The Influence of the Collaborative Learning Project on Sustainability Education - A Case Study in Malawian Secondary Schools from a Postcolonial Lens

Malawi is highly vulnerable to sustainability crises, and its resilience is undermined by colonial legacies and structural inequalities within the education system. Sustainability education in Malawian secondary schools is often dominated by Western epistemologies, exam-oriented pedagogies, and limited engagement with local contexts, constraining learners’ capacities for sustainability action and livelihoods. This article offers a postcolonial critique of sustainability education and examines the potential for transformation through Tikly’s framework of environmentally and socially just Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Focusing on the NGO-led 1.5 MAX collaborative learning project, the study adopts a qualitative case study design and narrative inquiry, drawing on semi-structured interviews and field observations. Analysis is structured around four dimensions of environmental and social justice - distribution, recognition, participation, and capabilities. Findings suggest that the project enhances the relevance and inclusivity of sustainability education by fostering participatory pedagogies and valuing local knowledge. However, systemic constraints, particularly curriculum standardisation and assessment regimes, limit transformative change. The article contributes to debates on decolonising education by demonstrating how collaborative and contextually grounded approaches can advance environmentally and socially just ESD, while highlighting the need for structural reform to sustain such transformations in postcolonial African education systems.