Advancing Sustainable Learning in Education of Learners with Visual Impairment in Historically Disadvantaged Schools

Abstract

This article investigates strategies for advancing sustainable learning among learners with visual impairments (LVIs) in historically disadvantaged schools in Lesotho, a low-income country. Despite global efforts to promote inclusive education, LVIs in Lesotho continue to experience multiple barriers, including limited access to adapted learning materials and inadequately resourced learning environments. Employing a qualitative participatory case study design and focus group discussions, the study engaged 12 purposively selected participants, including school principals, special education teachers, and general education teachers, from two rural primary schools. Grounded in the principles of the inclusive special education framework, this study contributes to the discourse on promoting sustainable learning by examining specific experiences of LVIs in these contexts. While the focus on LVIs in rural contexts represents one subset of historically disadvantaged institutions, the findings highlight persistent systemic challenges, such as insufficient resources, restrictive learning conditions, and the underutilisation of teachers’ specialised expertise in visual impairment education, that resonate more broadly across marginalised educational settings. Even though its generalisation remains, the study recommends recognising and enhancing the professional status of educators trained in visual impairment, strengthening policy support for sustainable infrastructure, and embedding sustainable learning principles to promote LVI independent learning. By centring the voices of teachers in disadvantaged settings, this research contributes to the discourse on advancing sustainable learning, which offers accessible contextually relevant strategies to advance educational equity and justice for LVIs in Lesotho.

1. Introductory Background

Globally, the increasing recognition of advancing Sustainable Learning in Education emerged as a foundational principle of inclusive education aimed at promoting equitable schooling systems. This is particularly evident in developing countries, where there is a growing enrolment of learners with disabilities in mainstream classrooms [1]. This recognition emanates from the global inclusive education mandates meant for providing equal and quality basic education to all children, including those with visual impairment. The mandates also ensure the right to basic education as fundamental human rights and surrounds the key global frameworks that support Sustainable Learning in Education such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which proceeded the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, driving towards sustainable and equitable future education. In particular, Sustainable Development Goal 4 aims to “promote inclusive and equitable quality education that supports lifelong learning opportunities for all”, which includes using significant strategies in teaching learners to be open-minded, inquire, reuse, renew, and rebuild to cope with complex and challenging circumstances that require learning and relearning [2]. Sustainable Development Goal 4 calls for developing learning environments that are supportive of the diverse needs of learners, especially for marginalised groups such as LVI.

The call for reinforcing sustainable learning environment for all learners is also highlighted in United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization [3], which commands that persons with disabilities, like their counterparts, must be equipped with skills and strategies to renew themselves through inquiry, self-assessment, evaluation of their environment, and assessments of their social systems without being discriminated and based on equal opportunity [2,4]. Article 24 of the CRPD outlines five interconnected goals for inclusive education that promote learning environments and offer effective individualised support measures to maximise learners’ academic and social development [5]. This aligns directly with the principles of Sustainable Learning in Education (SLE) for all learners. SLE aims to foster learning that is durable, adaptable, and impactful for all learners to thrive within their complex world [6]. Sustainable learning in education is an emerging concept that is easily confused with learning about respect, renewal, or recycling of environmental resources [7]. Instead, it refers to the development of knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes that enable learners to continuously adapt, reflect, and apply learning across diverse contexts over time [6]. It emphasises long-term personal growth, critical thinking, and the ability to relearn and unlearn in response to changing social, cultural, and environmental challenges, ensuring education remains meaningful and relevant to learners’ needs.

In the context of this study, advancing sustainable learning in the education of LVIs becomes a crucial driver for the effective and inclusive transformation within their rural school contexts. By aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), the aim of this study is to promote inclusive, equitable, and lifelong learning opportunities for learners with visual impairments in rural schools. Since SLE is defined as a long-term, systemic approach that not only addresses immediate educational needs but also ensures that inclusive practices and support structures are maintained over time [8], it is important to realise that the motive behind it is to ensure that learning is accessible and teaching and learning resources are made relevant to the context and culture of the host learners [7].

The recent literature suggests environmental, social, and economic sustainability as significant key dimensions required for sustainable learning and educational success of all learners, including LVIs. Whilst environmental sustainability, which includes creating accessible and safe physical learning spaces, marks the effective learning environment where quality teaching will be prioritised [9], social sustainability, which requires involving inclusive school cultures, teacher attitudes, and community support, is also crucial [10]. On the other hand, economic sustainability, which ensures resource allocation, funding, and policy support, forms a central juncture for effective implementation of inclusive education in schools [3].

Although effective implementation of inclusive education to advancing sustainable learning may require school environments, particularly in rural contexts, to not just place LVIs into mainstream classrooms, but to embed inclusive values into policies, teaching practices, curricula, and infrastructure [10,11,12], so that the learning environment becomes truly sustainable and responsive to their unique needs [9], research shows that LVIs, particularly those in rural schools, continue to experience challenges, such as lack of acceptance, insufficient resources and restrictive learning environments hindering their progress [13,14]. Rural schooling is often associated with a lack of resources, which may lead to many learners, including LVIs, not attending school and/or receiving quality education [15]. For instance, research on rural areas ranks it as the third-highest rural percentage among lower-middle-income countries in Africa [16]. However, based on even more recent data from the global economy, Lesotho’s population increased by almost a quarter million in four years, despite the percentage of rural area residents having decreased by nearly 70%, of whom around 35% are children, which allows us to estimate a population of approximately 569.000 children. The scenario gets more worrying; the United Nations Children’s Fund [17] report on children and young people with disability in Lesotho found that 38,5% of secondary students were identified as having a visual impairment in 2020. The cross-referencing of these data should, in fact, concern all those who, directly or indirectly, are responsible for providing the most appropriate educational responses to meet the needs of such a large group of students.

To bridge this gap, this paper aims to contribute insights into how sustainable learning can be enhanced in the educational success of LVIs. The following research questions were addressed:

• How can sustainable learning practices contribute to the quality provision of education to learners with visual impairments (LVIs) in rural mainstream primary schools in Lesotho?
• What strategies can be implemented to advance sustainable learning for learners with visual impairments (LVIs) in rural mainstream primary schools in Lesotho?

2. Framing Sustainable Learning in Education Through an Inclusive Special Education Lens

The paper engages an inclusive special education theoretical lens to understand how the rural education systems can sustainably produce meaningful and superior educational outcomes for LVIs [18]. The inclusive–special education theory has emerged from a blend of inclusive and special education approaches to effectively address the unique needs of all learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) [19]. The theory’s major focus is on synthesising philosophies, policies, and practices from both inclusive and special education to ensure a clear vision for quality education for all. At its core, the theory emphasises the integration of two interdependent inclusive education and special education principles [20]. This theory recognises that while the majority of learners with SEND can be accommodated in mainstream classrooms through appropriate support, a minority with more severe needs may benefit from specialised resource rooms, special classes, or special schools. In the case of the philosophical assumptions grounding inclusive education within this theory is the aim to eliminate barriers that hinder the participation of learners with SEND, while ensuring equal access to quality education [21]. As a result, there will be a continuum of placement options from mainstream classes to specialised settings that are necessary to ensure that all learners are educated in an enabling learning environment with flexibility for movement between settings as per their diverse needs [18].

Special education, on the other hand, consists of specialised teaching practices designed to meet the unique learning needs of learners with SEND [22]. This approach relies on well-trained educators equipped with the skills and resources to provide individualised educational support to all learners, including LVIs, which is not the case for teachers of learners with visual impairment in Lesotho. According to one of the studies conducted in Lesotho on teachers’ experiences, the lack of Braille textbooks and other assistive devices, such as voice recorders and Perkins Braillers, was identified as a major constraint to providing effective support for LVIs [23]. Although training and professional development are key elements in bringing out educational changes and cultivating positive attitudes [24,25], African countries like Lesotho seem to struggle to provide their teachers with adequate readiness to respond throughout schooling years to the specific needs of learners with visual impairment [26,27]. According to this theory, learners’ academic success requires balanced education systems that embrace both inclusive and special education. This balance is particularly vital for LVIs in rural schools, which often face challenges such as discrimination, limited access to resources, inflexible curricula, and unsupportive environments [13,19,21]. It is therefore important to realise that within a system that integrates inclusive and special education principles, LVIs are not only supported but also given opportunities to flourish.

The researcher in this study considers using this theory as appropriate by drawing from the idea that it ensures equal access to quality education [28], where every learner is given equal opportunities to educational success [29], thereby aligning with the long-term vision of Sustainable Learning in Education, which includes renewing and relearning, independent and collaborative learning, active learning, and transferability [2]. Sustainable Learning is defined as a way to think about and reflect on teaching practices that best suit the unique needs of learners. It is an approach that ensures learning that is accessible to all students, and that teaching is relevant to their context and culture [7]. It also emphasises long-term thinking and preparing learners to thrive in a complex, interconnected world [6]. The descriptions of Sustainable Learning in Education, according to these authors, situate it within the premise of inclusive education, which values quality provision of education and equal learning opportunities to all learners [30].

Driven by these principles, inclusive special education philosophical assumptions are based on the integrative knowledge and belief that every learner’s quality education opportunity requires a sustainable and inclusive learning environment [31]. This aligns with the arguments that a stable education system balances inclusive and special education, and when enriched within the premises of sustainable learning, it becomes both responsive and future-oriented [18]. For LVIs, such a system ensures not only immediate academic progress but also the capacity to thrive in diverse life contexts [32]. Thus, sustainable learning acts as the backbone of inclusive special education, embedding strategies like adaptability, collaboration, engagement, and lifelong relevance into the education system [2]. Such sustainable systems reduce dependency on external interventions and help create resilient education ecosystems that can support LVIs equitably and continuously [32]. The Global Development Goals, Goal 4 in particular, indicate that the realisation of these strategies requires education systems that drive multi-stakeholder collaboration aiming at the promotion of inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all.

Drawing from these ideas, we can see that the fusion of the inclusive education framework with Sustainable Learning in Education can provide a holistic pathway for enabling transformative and lasting change in education systems, particularly within those schools serving disadvantaged populations [15,21,33].

In this study, sustainable learning is meant not merely as the continuity of educational engagement, but as a context-responsive process that empowers learners with visual impairments to develop adaptive, transferable skills enabling lifelong participation in learning and community life [2]. Unlike broader inclusive education frameworks that primarily emphasise access and accommodation, sustainable learning foregrounds resilience, autonomy, and ecological interdependence within disadvantaged rural contexts. Sustainable learning in the context of this study extends beyond classroom inclusion to encompass the socio-cultural and material conditions that sustain learners’ educational success despite systemic barriers [13]. This theoretical positioning offers a distinctive contribution by integrating the inclusive special education framework with sustainability as both an educational and social justice imperative, tailored to the lived realities of learners with visual impairments in under-resourced rural environments.

3. Materials and Methods

3.1. Positionality

This paper draws from the researcher’s doctoral thesis, which aimed to enhance the enabling learning environments for learners with visual impairment (LVIs) in rural schools of Lesotho. Building on the idea of creating enabling learning environments, this paper extends the focus to advancing sustainable learning in historically disadvantaged schools, where the systematic challenges faced by LVIs within these contexts continue to impact their educational access and success [15]. My professional journey as a scholar in psychology and inclusive education, matched with my experiences of working with learners with disabilities, has shaped my critical and empathetic lens toward the significant challenges faced by these learners.

Additionally, my academic foundation in inclusive pedagogies and practice-based exposure to LVIs in rural schools assisted me in approaching this subject matter with both intellectual and rural-context insight. Having grown up and worked in rural communities similar to the research context, I hold an inside-out position, both academically and culturally equipped with related knowledge. This dual inherent position deepens my understanding of the historical and academic difficulties facing LVIs and their teachers based in rural schools [34]. The decision to focus on sustainable learning in the education of LVIs was informed by my motivation towards creating inclusive learning environments that value both accessibility and dignity for marginalised learners [35].

Coming from a rural community where learners with disabilities often face systemic exclusion, this positionality informs me of my commitment to advocate for inclusive transformation, enabling me to approach this research through an inclusive special education lens informed by the lived experiences of learners with visual impairments (LVIs). It allows me to focus on fostering quality learning opportunities within enabling contexts that are rich in unique strengths and cultural assets, which simply need to be reinforced for sustainable educational development [36]. My engagement with historically disadvantaged schools is not just scholarly, but also includes collective participation with stakeholders who have experienced structural neglect and epistemic exclusion [13].

3.2. Study Data

Two rural primary schools in Lesotho were identified as the research sites for this study. Having work experience and growing up in rural communities similar to the research context played a significant role in enabling my selection of these research sites. This paper emerged from a qualitative study that utilised focus group discussions (FGDs) and engaged 12 participants to explore how sustainable learning can be enhanced for the quality provision of education to LVIs [21]. Participants were in two groups of six teachers, both special and general, and school principals (see

Table 1. Participants’ biographic information.

SCHOOL A
Participants/Pseudonyms	Status	Age	Level of Study
T1	General	41	Bachelor’s degree in education (B.Ed.)
T2	General	48	Bachelar’s degree in education (B.Ed.)
T3	Specialist	38	Bachelor’s degree in inclusive education
T4	General	45	Bachelor’s degree in education (B.Ed.)
T5	Principle	44	Bachelor’s degree in education (B.Ed.)
T6	Specialist	42	Diploma in Special Education
SCHOOL B
Participants/Pseudonyms	Status	Age	Level of Study
T7	Principal	45	Bachelor’s degree in education (B.Ed.)
T8	Deputy	44	Honors is inclusive Education
T9	General	42	Bachelor’s degree in education (B.Ed.)
T10	General	45	Diploma In Education
T11	General	46	Bachelor’s degree in education (B.Ed.)
T12	General	38	Bacheloe’s degree in education (B.Ed.)

Participants’ biographic information (adapted from Ramatea & Govender, 2025, 4 [37]).

below) with three or more years of experience working in rural mainstream schools.

The focus group discussions, which lasted for 1 h and 30 min, were conducted on separate dates within the selected schools. With the selected groups of participants, the researcher uses a set of topic and probe questions to facilitate the discussions and probe the participants to share their experiences, ideas, and knowledge about advancing sustainable learning for LVIs. Guided by the objectives of the study, participants were engaged in the discussion by answering questions illustrated in

Table 2. Participants’ discussion topics and probe questions.

Discussion Topics	Probe Questions
Experience of teaching in mainstream learning environments for LVIs	What are your experiences of teaching in mainstream schools that practice inclusion of LVIs? What challenges have you encountered in supporting LVIs?
Understanding and ideas for sustainable learning practices	What is your understanding of sustainable learning for LVIs? What approaches do you think can enhance sustainable learning for LVIs? Are there specific strategies you would recommend to advance sustainable learning for these learners?
Knowledge and understanding of LVIs’ learning needs	How familiar are you with inclusive education strategies for LVIs? Explain how you adapt your teaching to meet LVIs’ needs

.

Since focus group discussions encourage the use of probing techniques to assist the researcher in achieving participants’ deeper understanding and yielding rich information concerning the phenomenon under study [38], the researcher engaged participating teachers in open-ended discussions to gain their in-depth information related to enhancing Sustainable Learning in Education of LVIs.

This study adopted a qualitative research design to explore teachers’ experiences in promoting Sustainable Learning in Education of LVIs in rural Lesotho. Data were generated with a small, purposively selected sample of participants who possessed relevant experience in inclusive education. While the sample size was necessarily limited due to the specialised nature of the population and logistical challenges in rural settings, it allowed for in-depth, context-rich insights rather than broad statistical generalisation.

To enhance accuracy, the researcher used member checking to confirm the credibility of data interpretations [39] while, on the other hand, maintaining reflexivity throughout the study to minimise bias and ensure that participants’ voices were authentically represented. Although the small sample size represents a limitation in terms of transferability, the intent of this study was not to generalise to all schools or contexts, but rather to generate a detailed understanding of sustainable learning that promotes inclusive practices in rural Lesotho.

3.3. Data Analysis

In response to the generated data through focus group discussions with the participants, the researcher used thematic procedures to capture recurring patterns of meaning within the generated data. The analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase framework, which includes familiarisation with the data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and producing the report [40]. The analysis aimed to identify recurring patterns that reflected participants’ shared and divergent experiences of advancing Sustainable Learning in Education of LVIs in rural Lesotho. Although qualitative software (e.g., NVivo, MAXQDA) can support the management of large datasets, no software was used in this study. Manual analysis was deliberately chosen to allow deeper immersion and reflexive engagement with the data, consistent with Braun and Clarke’s (2006) recommendations. To ensure rigour, the process was supported by detailed memo writing, iterative coding, and the use of coding matrices to maintain transparency and an audit trail of analytic decisions [41].

Thematic analysis procedures involve systematically identifying, analysing, and interpreting patterns of meaning (themes) within the data [42]. This enabled the researcher to begin by immersing in the transcripts and repeatedly reading transcripts to gain an in-depth understanding of data familiarity [43]. Then, in the next step of coding, which entails labelling relevant segments of the data that capture important aspects related to the research question [44], the researcher used initial codes to systematically generate and assign relevant text segments, which were subsequently organised into categories that reflected significant ideas. These categories were then refined into broader themes that captured participants’ shared experiences related to advancing sustainable learning for quality education of LVIs. The themes were thoroughly reviewed and defined to maintain consistency with the data, thereby ensuring that the analysis provided an accurate and deeper representation of participants’ voices.

To enhance validity and reliability, several measures were employed throughout the analysis process. Firstly, peer debriefing was conducted to review the coding framework and ensure that emerging themes were grounded in the data rather than researcher assumptions. Secondly, triangulation was achieved through comparing perspectives across different participant groups to confirm the consistency and credibility of the identified themes. Thirdly, participant validation was undertaken by sharing preliminary interpretations with selected participants to verify that their views were accurately represented [39].

4. Results

4.1. Theme 1: The Systemic Challenges Undermining Sustainable Learning in the Education of Learners with Visual Impairments

In responding to the research question “How can sustainable learning practices contribute to quality provision of education to learners with visual impairments (LVI) in rural mainstream primary schools in Lesotho?”, the findings reveal that sustainable learning in the education of LVIs is shaped less by the absence of inclusive intentions and more by persistent systemic challenges. These challenges, which include insufficient resources, restrictive learning conditions, and the underutilisation of teachers’ specialised expertise, undermine the sustainable learning practices and, in turn, limit the realisation of LVIs’ inclusive education.

4.1.1. Sub-Theme 1: Insufficient Resources for Sustainable Learning

During focus group discussions with the participants, the findings indicate that one of the most pressing challenges to promote sustainable learning in the education of learners with visual impairments (LVIs) is the persistent shortage of appropriate learning resources in rural mainstream schools. A special education teacher from school A indicated the following:

The lack of appropriate textbooks to support the learning of learners with visual impairment is a serious problem here in our school

(T3)

Extracts from some of the participating teachers and a specialist teacher who was also a deputy principal in school B revealed the following:

In the case of learners with visual impairment, I can say that they still lack resources such as textbooks suitable for their special educational needs

(T8)

Yes! Most schools’ written textbooks supplied to our school learners are not user-friendly for learning. By having a look at the font used in writing the textbooks supplied to LVI at our school, in particular, one could find out that the font used is not meant for these learners. In actual fact, these learning materials are not designed to suit the needs of these learners and thus, cause restrictions in their smooth learning

(T10)

The participants consistently highlighted the lack of resources, like textbooks, as a significant problem that restricts smooth and sustainable learning in the education of LVIs. These findings resonate with earlier studies that point out the lack of resources as a significant barrier to the effective education of LVIs. For example, the literature argues that sustainable learning in the education of these learners requires learning contexts in richness of inclusive resources that are responsive to learners’ diversity [9,45]. Similarly, in the context of low-income countries, it has been reported that the lack of accessible materials remains one of the primary barriers to educational participation for learners with disabilities [13,14,15]. This obstructs the goals of the inclusive special education framework, which emphasises learners’ equitable access and participation in supportive learning environments. The findings in this study match the prevailing ideologies about rural insufficiency and contradict the global inclusive education mandates that position learners’ educational success as a result of the quality provision of education [21]. These findings imply that sustainable learning in the education of LVIs is far from being realised and confirm that LVIs’ access to education cannot be realised without addressing the structural issue of resource scarcity.

4.1.2. Sub-Theme 2: Restrictive Learning Conditions in Rural Classrooms

The findings revealed a restrictive classroom learning space as another barrier that significantly hinders sustainable learning in the education of LVIs. Participants’ responses indicated inadequate seating arrangements as everyday challenges in their rural teaching and learning space. Below excerpts confirmed the following:

Our classrooms are too small and overcrowded. Most of the time, there are not enough chairs or tables. Learners with visual impairments end up sharing seats, which affects their concentration and independence in class

(T11)

Because of poor seating arrangements, some learners with visual impairments sit far from the board and cannot follow properly. The distance restricts them from seeing clearly what is written and affects their learning

(T1)

According to these participants, classroom seating conditions exacerbate LVI challenges by making it difficult to see the chalkboard and engage fully in learning activities. T1 reported that such physical and environmental causes and restrictions often limit LVI-accessible learning, thereby reinforcing exclusion rather than inclusion. These findings are consistent with global inclusive education frameworks centralising the importance of enabling learning environments for inclusive education as outlined by SDG 4, which aims to “promote inclusive and equitable quality education that supports lifelong learning opportunities for all”. The alignment in the findings of this study and the inclusive education frameworks stress that LVI learning cannot be sustained without classroom conditions conducive to their unique needs [45]. Additionally, research that was conducted in Ethiopia found that environmental barriers such as overcrowding and poor infrastructure disproportionately affect learners with disabilities, especially in low-resource settings [12]. The findings support the notion regarding restrictive classroom conditions by indicating that rural school classrooms often fail to meet the basic requirements for LVI-inclusive learning, thereby undermining their equitable participation.

4.1.3. Sub-Theme 3: Underutilisation of Teachers’ Specialised Expertise

Underutilisation of teachers’ specialised skills in visual impairment education was identified as a significant challenge for enhancing sustainable learning in the education of LVIs. Participants noted that teachers who had received training in inclusive education were often assigned to general classroom duties, which limited opportunities to apply their expertise. This concern was echoed by one school principal in school B, who explained the following:

We do have teachers who were trained in inclusive education, but unfortunately, they are not given the chance to use their skills. Most of the time, they are treated like ordinary classroom teachers like any other teachers, and their knowledge about supporting learners with visual impairments is not fully used.

(T7)

Some teacher participants without such training support this concern, recognising the gap it created in practice. One participant explained the following:

I am not trained in inclusive education, so I often struggle with strategies to advance learning to LVI. Yet we have colleagues who were trained, but our government just considers them as ordinary classroom teachers, and their skills are not properly utilised.

(T9)

Another participant in School A elaborated on how this underutilisation weakened classroom support for LVIs:

In my classes, I sometimes don’t know how to adapt materials for LVI to cater to their special needs. The specialist teachers could assist us, but since they are not recognised by our government and only treated as ordinary classroom teachers, LVI end up not getting the right support. This makes it difficult to achieve their sustainable learning outcomes

(T5)

One of the most striking findings of this study highlights a political and systemic challenge within Lesotho’s inclusive education framework. The data reveal that teachers trained specifically to provide support for LVIs are not exclusively assigned to this role. Instead, they are frequently tasked with responsibilities outside their area of expertise. This misalignment contradicts the intentions of the Lesotho Inclusive Education Policy [46] (p. 17), which underscores that the success of the Inclusive Education Programme depends on teachers’ expertise and professional attitudes. According to the policy, teachers should be empowered with the necessary skills to challenge stereotypes about learners with special educational needs, identify individual learning needs, conduct assessments, design and implement Individual Educational Programmes (IEPs), and ensure that the diverse needs of all learners are met in inclusive classrooms.

However, the findings in this study indicated that the failure to fully engage teachers with specialised skills not only undermines peer capacity building but also perpetuates barriers to effective classroom practices [13]. According to the participants’ response, LVIs are consequently denied tailored support, slowing their progress and limiting the attainment of sustainable learning. As a result, the potential of these trained teachers to foster sustainable, inclusive learning practices remained untapped. This observation aligns with the opinion of viewing sustainable learning through an inclusive special education lens that values the specialised teaching practices designed to meet the unique learning needs [22]. Inclusive special education theory adopted in this study indicates that meeting the unique needs of learners relies on well-trained educators equipped with the skills and resources [18]. However, the findings identify a gap in revealing failure to leverage trained teachers’ capabilities as a major barrier [33], thereby contradicting the principles of sustainable learning, which aim to assist teachers to think about and to reflect on teaching practice to ensure effective education [2]. These suggest that even if some teachers received training, systemic challenges like their being disregarded become apparent and prevent them from fully exercising their competencies. As a result, reduces the effectiveness of sustainable learning practices for the educational success of LVIs.

4.2. Theme 2: Strategies to Advance Sustainable Learning for Learners with Visual Impairments

The participants, while responding to “what strategies can be implemented to advance sustainable learning to overcoming systematic barriers in rural mainstream primary schools in Lesotho?”, suggested three interrelated sustainable learning strategies, which include enhancing the professional status of educators trained in visual impairment, strengthening policy support for sustainable infrastructure, and embedding sustainable learning principles to promote LVI independent learning.

4.2.1. Sub-Theme 1: Enhancing the Professional Status of Educators Trained in Visual Impairment

The participants indicate that one of the key strategies to advance sustainable learning in the education of LVIs is a thoughtful enhancement of the professional status of educators trained in visual impairment. This becomes apparent in the following responses from some of the participants:

…if teachers who are trained in visual impairment education can be valued and specialities recognised, our rural schools can become better learning environments where everyone can be motivated to provide quality teaching to LVI

(T2)

I think being a teacher is very critical; teachers, especially those with skills, require professional opportunities to exercise their skills to remain committed and confident in supporting LVI effectively

(T6)

The above excerpts highlighted teachers’ recognition through professional advancement as ongoing support for empowerment. The findings revealed that when teachers, especially those trained in visual impairment, can be offered a chance to apply their expertise more effectively, this can contribute meaningfully to the sustainable learning of LVIs. These findings are in line with the literature emphasising that teacher status and professional recognition are critical determinants of effective inclusion and sustainable learning of all learners [2,22,28]. However, the findings indicated that in Lesotho, teachers trained to support learners with visual impairments (LVIs) often lack official recognition by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), which prevents them from entering a dedicated career pathway. This structural gap limits the practical application of specialised skills and may undermine long-term motivation, despite teachers’ intrinsic commitment to inclusive education [47]. The disconnect between training and formal recognition highlights a key policy challenge and offers a potential catalyst for educational reform [48], emphasising the need for mechanisms that formally acknowledge, certify, and integrate specialised inclusive education roles within the teaching profession. Since the findings in this study revealed that the impact of specialised teacher training is dependent upon systems that value and utilise these skills strategically [20], it becomes clear that enhancing professional status involves not only acknowledging specialised skills through dedicated roles but also creating platforms to exercise their potential and become a driving force for overall quality provision of education for learners with visual impairments.

4.2.2. Sub-Theme 2: Strengthening Policy Support for Inclusive Infrastructure

The findings indicate that advancing sustainable learning for LVIs requires strong policy support that prioritises inclusive infrastructure in rural mainstream primary schools. This is highlighted in the following participant responses:

Without proper infrastructure, like accessible classrooms, policies remain just words on paper. We need the government to act, and assist to make learning in rural schools sustainable

(T12)

Yes! I think all the policies that support quality and equitable learning for all learners must also focus on inclusive facilities, especially in rural areas, otherwise other learners, like those with visual impairment, will continue to be excluded from real learning opportunities

(T4)

The above excerpts speak volumes about strengthening policies that support inclusive and sustainable learning to LVIs. To these participants, advancing Sustainable Learning in Education of LVIs requires strong policy support that prioritises inclusive infrastructure. These findings associate with research emphasising the central role of policy in sustaining inclusive education, which must move beyond aspirational statements to enforceable measures that guarantee access to appropriate learning resources and infrastructure [1,34]. Access to such resources and infrastructure depends on the capacity to channel the necessary investments. Lesotho’s economy is deeply enclaved, making it inseparable from the broader regional economic landscape. The country’s small economy relies heavily on remittances from migrant labourers employed abroad, subsistence agriculture, diamond mining, small-scale industries such as textiles, construction, and limited tourism [16] (p. 12).

In 2019, Lesotho’s economy ranked as the fifth smallest among its income peers, with a Gross domestiic product GDP of USD 3.5 billion. Lesotho allocates 6.3% of its GDP to education, ranking seventh highest among lower-middle-income countries in Africa. In 2023, the government, in collaboration with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and other partners, began initiatives to improve the quality of teaching and learning, particularly targeting the most marginalised learners. The Lesotho Partnership Compact (2024–2026) projects a financial commitment of 16% for education in both the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 fiscal years, with education expenditure budgeted at 10% of GDP for the same period. These developments suggest that significant improvements in Lesotho’s education system are anticipated in the coming years, underscoring the importance of future research to assess whether these initiatives achieve their intended outcomes.

On the other hand, research concerning the provision of education in low-resource contexts identified that the absence of enforceable policies or guidelines often exacerbates existing inequalities, where mostly learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are at higher risk of exclusion [35]. In the Lesotho context, the findings suggest that strengthening policy support could address systemic inequities like inaccessible classrooms [12] while enabling schools to maintain accessible learning environments that support inclusive practices over time. The findings further indicate that by embedding inclusive infrastructure within policy frameworks, schools are better positioned to implement inclusive facilities for equitable learning opportunities for all.

4.2.3. Sub-Theme 3: Embedding Sustainable Learning Principles to Promote Learner Independent Learning

Participants emphasised that embedding sustainable learning principles in classroom practice is another crucial strategy for effective inclusive education of LVIs in rural mainstream primary schools. Below extracts indicate the following:

If all teachers can understand that sustainable learning is not only about teaching content but also about ensuring that every learner, regardless of ability, can participate and grow independently, our schools can successfully practice inclusive education of LVI

[T4]

Yes! Sustainable learning practices give learners independence and confidence, which is essential for true inclusion in the classroom

[T2]

That is true, If teachers can plan lessons with sustainable learning in mind to allow LVI to learn independently their learning can reflect a true inclusive education outcome

[T8]

The findings highlight that embedding sustainable learning principles in classroom practice is a critical strategy for effective inclusive education for LVIs. Sustainable learning in this context refers to teaching approaches that enable learners to develop independence and confidence, which are essential for true inclusion in the classroom. An effective inclusive education heavily relies on a mix of teachers’ knowledge, skills and dispositions for creating schools that embrace principles of inclusivity, which inherently obligates teacher educators to examine their responsibility in graduating teachers who are aware of the expectations placed on them by policy and are trained to fulfil them [49,50]. This aligns with the broader goals of the inclusive special education framework used in this study, which promotes quality learning in enabling learning environments [32], where all learners are given equal opportunities for renewing and relearning [2] in the process of attaining their educational success. The findings also align with the sustainable learning goals, which ensure learning that is accessible to all learners and that teaching is relevant to the context and culture of the students [7]. The findings regard the promotion of LVI independent learning as an integral component of sustainable inclusion.

5. Limitations of the Study

While this study positions itself within the broader discourse of promoting sustainable learning in historically disadvantaged educational institutions, its empirical foundations are situated specifically within the context of learners with visual impairments (LVIs) in rural schools. These schools represent one subset of historically disadvantaged institutions. Consequently, the findings should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be fully generalisable across all marginalised educational settings. However, focusing on LVIs in rural school environments offers valuable insights into the structural and pedagogical barriers that are often shared with other disadvantaged contexts, thereby providing a significant entry point for understanding broader challenges in promoting sustainable learning.

6. Conclusions

This study explored how sustainable learning can contribute to the effective education of learners with visual impairments (LVIs) in rural mainstream primary schools in Lesotho. The aim is to identify significant strategies to advance such practices. The findings reveal that the quality provision of education to LVIs is constrained by persistent systemic challenges, including insufficient resources, restrictive learning conditions, and the underutilisation of teachers’ specialised expertise. These barriers undermine sustainable learning, limiting the ability of these learners to participate meaningfully and benefit equitably from educational opportunities. While these findings reaffirm challenges identified in previous national and international studies, such as inadequate resources, overcrowded classrooms, and a lack of teacher training, they also offer important contextual nuances specific to Lesotho’s education system. A key distinctive feature emerging from this study is the underutilisation of teachers trained in inclusive education, which reflects a significant gap between inclusive education policy aspirations and their implementation in rural schools. Although Lesotho’s policy framework promotes the inclusion of all learners, including LVIs, in practice, schools often lack the necessary administrative support to deploy trained teachers effectively. This disconnection illustrates how well-intentioned inclusion policies can remain symbolic when systemic structures, such as teacher deployment mechanisms, are not aligned with inclusive goals.

Addressing these challenges requires deliberate, sustainable learning strategies such as creating adaptable learning environments for LVIs by promoting ongoing teacher professional development in inclusive practices, ensuring that their skills are recognised, supported, and strategically deployed. Strengthening policy support for inclusive infrastructure can provide the structural foundation for their long-term inclusion, while implementing sustainable learning principles, such as renewing and relearning, independent and collaborative learning, active learning, and transferability, ensures that LVIs are actively engaged and empowered in their education.

Overall, the findings revealed sustainable learning as a complex concept; however, reaching the advanced level of sustainable learning in the education of LVIs depends on systemic support, teacher expertise, policy frameworks, and enabling learning environments. For rural mainstream primary schools in Lesotho, this implies that achieving effective inclusion of LVIs requires a holistic approach that addresses both structural barriers and pedagogical practices. This study, therefore, suggests that by implementing these strategies, schools can create enabling learning environments where learners with visual impairments can thrive academically, socially, and personally, ensuring that inclusion is not only achieved but sustained over time.

7. Recommendations

Based on the findings in this study, several recommendations emerge to advance sustainable learning for effective education of LVIs in rural mainstream primary schools in Lesotho. Firstly, schools and education authorities should institutionalise the professional recognition and strategic placement of educators trained in visual impairment. This could be operationalised by creating dedicated posts or specialist roles within mainstream education structures at district and school levels, ensuring that such teachers are deployed where their expertise is most needed. Furthermore, recognition could be formalised through career progression pathways that reward additional training in inclusive and visual impairment education. Secondly, policymakers should strengthen support for inclusive infrastructure by prioritising budget allocations and targeted interventions that ensure classrooms are physically accessible and adequately equipped. This can be achieved through phased infrastructure upgrades, such as installing ramps, tactile floor indicators, and proper lighting to support learners with visual impairments.

Thirdly, teachers should settle into sustainable learning principles in their practice by promoting learners to learn independently, thereby enabling LVIs to participate meaningfully and confidently in all aspects of schooling. Collectively, these measures would create a holistic and sustainable approach to the effective education of these learners.