10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education across Sub-Saharan African schools continues to be undermined by students’ under-performance, manifested in weak retention and noticeable disconnect between classroom content and learners’ cultural background. This is evident in recent regional public examination outcomes in the core science subjects as Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Agricultural Science. The West African Examinations Council reported that the pass rate in these subjects averagely fell from 66.82% in 2023 to 58.77% in 2024 and performance falling further still in 2025. This study examined how the deliberate integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) might enhance STEM teaching and learning outcomes in secondary schools across Sub-Saharan Africa, with reference to Nigeria. A mixed-methods design was adopted, combining structured surveys, classroom observations and semi-structured interviews involving 300 teachers whose specialties span across the science subjects and 600 students drawn from public and rural schools. The investigation was anchored on a conceptual framework integrating culturally responsive pedagogy and constructivist learning theory. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics to compare achievement between learners exposed to IKS-integrated instruction and those taught through conventional methods while qualitative data was analysed thematically to capture teachers’ perceptions and implementation challenges. The study focused on four indigenous knowledge domains- indigenous agricultural practices, ethno-mathematics, traditional medicine and the use of local materials in physics and chemistry experimentation. Findings shows that integrating IKS strengthens learners’ conceptual understanding, engagement and attitudes towards STEM subjects. The study recommends among others that curriculum developers, teacher-training institutions and education policymakers embed indigenous knowledge systems within STEM syllabi. By generating empirical evidence on culturally grounded STEM pedagogy, this study contributes to making STEM education more inclusive, sustainable and effective for African learners, in direct alignment with the conference’s call for indigenous and citizen science as drivers of sustainable transformation.