Towards Change-Oriented Sustainability Education in Teacher Education in Malawi

The Berlin Declaration on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) asserted the essence of mainstreaming ESD in teacher education to provide strategies for policymakers, educators and institutions aiming to advance sustainability through professional development. This study explored the mainstreaming of ESD in teacher education through Vygotsky’s social learning theory and a qualitative research design. Th e study examined the experiences of eight teacher educators from a Malawian teacher training college who participated in UNESCO’s Sustainability Starts with Teachers (SST) programme. The study questioned how the SST initiative could be scaled or adapted to diverse educational contexts towards change-oriented sustainability education in teacher education. Data was generated through a roundtable discussion and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed six key themes: (1) Social issues, highlighting the imperative to confront societal challenges through ESD; (2) Agency, focusing on empowering teacher educators to lead the mainstreaming of ESD; (3) Collaboration, stressing the value of building partnerships among educators and key stakeholders; (4) Historical learning, linking past experiences with present educational practices; (5) Inclusivity, promoting the inclusion of diverse voices and perspectives in ESD; and (6) Emerging alternatives, reflecting innovative and evolving strategies for mainstreaming ESD in teacher education. In this article, I argue that mainstreaming ESD in teacher education requires framing it as a continuous learning process rather than a static curriculum addon or once-off pedagogical performativity. Th us, there is a need for increased transformative and change-oriented eff orts to capacitate teacher leaders, teacher educators and future teachers with the competencies and skills to lead and advance ESD through policy, curriculum and practice.