Institutional and Pedagogical Challenges Affecting the Quality of Instructional Delivery in Construction Trade Education in Malawi

This review examines the institutional and pedagogical challenges influencing the quality of instructional delivery in construction-related technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Malawi. It argues that instructional quality is shaped by the interaction of institutional capacity, instructor competence, vocational pedagogy, assessment practices, workshop resources and industry engagement. Existing evidence from Malawi identifies several persistent challenges, including inadequate training facilities and instructional materials, insufficiently prepared instructors, weaknesses in quality assurance implementation, inconsistent understandings of competency-based education and training (CBET), and misalignment between training provision and employer expectations. These challenges are particularly significant in construction trade education, where the development of occupational competence requires sustained practical engagement, structured supervision and authentic workplace-related learning experiences. Nevertheless, much of the available Malawi-specific evidence addresses TVET broadly or school-level technical education rather than construction trade programmes specifically. Consequently, comparative studies from other countries are incorporated to explain the pedagogical demands of construction education without assuming that their findings are directly transferable to the Malawian context. The review further highlights the need to distinguish reported institutional constraints from demonstrated effects on instructional quality and learner outcomes. It concludes that improving construction trade education requires an integrated approach involving instructor professional development, functional workshop facilities, competency-based assessment, effective quality assurance and sustainable industry partnerships. Further empirical research is recommended to establish how these interconnected factors influence instructional delivery within Malawi's construction trade programmes.