A Protocol for Culturally Responsive Pedagogical Interventions to Enhance STEM Education in Senegal

Abstract

This research protocol outlines a mixed-methods study to develop and pilot culturally responsive pedagogical (CRP) interventions for enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in Senegalese lower secondary schools. The central problem addressed is the persistent underperformance in STEM subjects, which is partly attributed to pedagogical approaches that are often disconnected from the local socio-cultural context and fail to engage students effectively. The study will employ a participatory action research design, conducted in three phases. First, a situational analysis using surveys and focus group discussions with teachers, students, and community elders will identify context-specific knowledge and barriers. Second, in collaboration with local educators, the research will co-design teaching modules that integrate indigenous knowledge systems, such as local engineering practices and ethnobotany, with the national STEM curriculum. Third, these modules will be piloted in selected classrooms, with data collected through pre- and post-intervention assessments, classroom observations, and reflective journals. The primary argument is that anchoring STEM instruction in familiar cultural referents will significantly improve student engagement, conceptual understanding, and academic achievement. This study is significant as it proposes a sustainable, contextually relevant model for STEM education reform in Senegal, contributing to the broader Pan-African discourse on decolonizing pedagogical practices and leveraging indigenous knowledge to empower the next generation of African innovators and problem-solvers.