Abstract
This study explored how teacher leadership in school food gardens can repurpose curriculum to support Education for Sustainable Futures (EfS) and promote sustainable livelihoods in rural South African schools. Situated within a transformative paradigm, the research employs Participatory Action Learning and Action Research (PALAR) to investigate how teachers act as instructional leaders in creating ‘third spaces’ of learning. These are hybrid environments that transcend traditional classroom boundaries by integrating community knowledge, Indigenous practices, and experiential learning.
Drawing on the Teacher Leadership Framework (TLF) and Third Space Theory (TST), the study examines how teachers facilitate curriculum innovation through school food gardens to address pressing socio-economic challenges, such as food insecurity, high dropout rates, and youth unemployment. Data were gathered from three rural schools in Limpopo Province through action learning sets, digital storytelling, photo-voice, and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed that school food gardens serve as dynamic pedagogical platforms for cross-disciplinary, culturally responsive, and values-based learning.
Key findings highlight that teacher-led School Food Gardens (SFGs) enhance learner engagement, foster life and entrepreneurial skills, promote environmental stewardship, and strengthen community-school partnerships. Teachers emerged as transformative leaders who model sustainability practices, integrate IKSs, and empower learners to become agents of change. Despite challenges such as limited resources, environmental constraints, and curriculum rigidity, the study demonstrates that school food gardens can be institutionalised as viable third spaces for reimagining education in ways that are inclusive, contextually relevant, and aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study contributes theoretically to the discourse on distributed teacher leadership and third space pedagogy, and offers practical and policy recommendations for embedding sustainability within the South African education system. It advocates for systemic support, continuing professional development, and cross-sector collaboration to scale and sustain such innovations.