Integrating Community Knowledge in Pre-Service Teacher Education for Climate Change Education: Addressing Eco-Colonialism in Malawi through Participatory Design-Based Research

• In Event: Origin Theories of Learning: Recentering Indigenous Strategies of Learning and Life in Comparative and International Education

Proposal

The continued influx of climate change international organizations and the incorporation of climate change strategies promoted by these organizations into the educational curriculum in Malawi represents a contemporary form of eco-colonialism in political ecology, which involves exporting knowledge and policies from the global north to the global south. This practice suppresses traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in favor of Western-centric paradigms (Agrawal, 1995; Mistry & Berardi, 2016), as it imposes standardized, externally designed educational frameworks, often marginalize locally rooted practices, strategies, and perspectives that have sustained African communities for generations (Robbins, 2012). This erasure of African voices/knowledge in political ecology systematically and strategically ushers a new form of European colonialism (Domínguez & Luoma, 2020). Reducing African Indigenous ecological wisdom to mere footnotes (Escobar, 1998) reinforces unbalanced power dynamics prioritizing foreign expertise while systematically discrediting local populations' sophisticated and place-based contextually adapted knowledge systems; this further entrenches historical patterns of environmental exploitation and control (Leach & Mearns, 1996).

The marginalization and alienation of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and cultural practices in Malawi represent the expansion and continuation of European colonialism. Moreover, incorporating climate change strategies promoted by international organizations into the educational curriculum is a tactic used by colonizers to sustain their power and exploit Africa's natural resources. However, integrating TEK and other indigenous methodologies into the curriculum, future generations can gain autonomy over their land and education. The following question guides my research: How has pre-service teacher training for climate change education effectively engaged indigenous communities and integrated traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous practices?

I have put into conversation two frameworks; the first is Nego-feminism which traditionally has expressed localized, Indigenous, and post-colonial viewpoints (Biwa, 2020). Built and grounded on the African Indigenous values of Ubuntu and its theology of collective action, Nego-feminism rejects the hierarchical structures often seen in Western frameworks, advocating for an approach that listens to and integrates local voices (Nnaemeka, 2003). The second framework I utilize is place-based education (PBE), rooting learning directly in the local environment and community context (Gruenewald & Smith, 2014). In contrast to globalized, one-size-fits-all curricula or the top-down approach, PBE emphasizes experiential, localized learning that values TEK and fosters stewardship of local ecosystems. It integrates community participation to provide insights into the region's ecological challenges and traditional practices (Madden et al., 2014).

I am conducting a community-based study involving ten teachers working in last-mile communities. I am utilizing participatory workshops to examine how their pre-service training prepared them to integrate community knowledge and traditional ecological practices into their climate change education lessons. Based on my initial findings, limited community engagement in climate change education in teacher training leads to a loss of unique environmental knowledge. Additionally, international climate strategies often overlook a significant disparity in the relationship with the environment between the global north and south. This research focuses on promoting traditional ecological practices to enhance equity and diversity, particularly in marginalized communities experiencing poverty. This approach positions these communities as knowledge producers and promotes co-creation to address eco-colonialism in political ecology.

Author

• Sunga Kufeyani, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities