Rethinking Photosynthesis Teaching: Advancing Sustainable Development in Life Sciences Education

This paper critically explores how the teaching of photosynthesis in Life Sciences can be reimagined to align with the principles of Sustainable Development Goal 4.7 in education. Drawing from both Western scientific knowledge and Indigenous ecological wisdom, the paper advocates for a transformative pedagogy that links photosynthesis to urgent global concerns such as food security, climate change, deforestation, and sustainability ethics. It contends that conventional approaches are centred largely on the chemical equation and content memorisation, falling short in engaging learners with the ethical, social, and environmental implications of plant life, food systems, and planetary health. The study was framed within a constructivist-interpretivist paradigm, enabling deep engagement with participants’ meanings and contextual realities. It employed a qualitative case study design, conceptually anchored in the interdisciplinary frameworks of transformative pedagogy, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, andEducation for Sustainable Development (ESD). The theoretical foundation was informed bydecolonial theoryandUbuntu philosophy, which foreground relationality, ethical engagement, and epistemic justice. The research was conducted in two public high schools located in rural and peri-urban communities in KwaZulu-Natal, selected for their rich intersections between formal science education and local ecological knowledge systems. Data sources included classroom observations, curriculum document analysis, and semi-structured interviews with five Life Sciences educators and two Indigenous Knowledge holders. Purposeful sampling identified educators engaged in environmental education, while ethical protocols ensured informed consent, cultural sensitivity, and reciprocal knowledge exchange, particularly with Indigenous participants. The study proposes reimagined curriculum content, participatory and community-rooted teaching methods, and a renewed sense of purpose in Life Sciences education. Ultimately, it argues that teaching photosynthesis through a sustainability lens is a moral and educational imperative that empowers learners as ecologically conscious, socially responsible, and culturally grounded citizens.