SUSTAINABILITY AS THE FOUNDATION OF PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES IN RURAL SCHOOLS

Abstract

This literature review article acknowledges the convergence between global environmental awareness and local school realities, positioning sustainability as the backbone of educational practice. The central purpose of this literature review article is to interpret the conceptual foundations of sustainability and its direct connection to pedagogical practices developed in rural settings. From a theoretical perspective, the current situation of rural schools reveals a profound tension: on the one hand, they are immersed in environments of high environmental fragility and neglect by government agencies; and on the other, they possess a unique endogenous potential, where the local territory and community knowledge can transform the classroom into a space for resistance and social transformation. However, traditional approaches persist that replicate decontextualized urban models in rural schools, ignoring the environmental and sociocultural richness of rural life. From a methodological standpoint, this study was structured around a conceptual and hermeneutic review of the most recent literature, while never losing sight of a critical perspective on alternative pedagogical models. As a main conclusion, it is clear that discussing sustainability in a rural context requires us to commit to a pedagogy rooted in local ties and community. In short, this means moving beyond a purely instrumental approach to education and embracing a decolonial practice—one in which the garden, biodiversity, and the intergenerational exchange of knowledge become the true driving force of the curriculum. Only in this way will rural schools be able to forge the social bonds necessary to advance toward food sovereignty, environmental justice, and the dignification of the territory as a living space where learning truly takes place.