A Systematic Review of Sustainable Educational Approaches in Guinea-Bissau: An African Development Perspective,

This systematic literature review employs the PRISMA framework to critically examine sustainable educational approaches in Guinea-Bissau from an African development perspective. It addresses a clear gap in synthesised evidence on contextually relevant models that can overcome systemic challenges—including infrastructure deficits, teacher shortages, and post-colonial curricular legacies—to contribute to sustainable development. The methodology entailed a rigorous search of five academic databases using explicit search strings, with defined inclusion and exclusion criteria applied to peer-reviewed articles, policy documents, and grey literature published between 2014 and 2024. A thematic analysis was used to synthesise the findings. Results indicate a growing emphasis on community-engaged schooling, the integration of local languages and indigenous knowledge, and pilot technology-enhanced learning initiatives. However, these approaches remain fragmented and under-resourced, struggling to achieve scale. The review concludes that educational sustainability in this context is contingent upon strategies that are pedagogically sound, culturally congruent, and supported by coherent national policy aligned with broader African developmental agendas. This synthesis provides a rigorous evidence base to inform policymakers and practitioners, advocating for integrated, locally-owned models that foster genuine educational resilience.