STEM+intercultural: Integrating STEM education with indigenous ancestral knowledge, traditional knowledge, and intercultural contexts. A systematic literature review

Luis Oviedo-Berrocal; Myriam Ortiz-Padilla; Marlene Zwierewicz; Jacob Vargas-Arteaga; Melchor Gómez-García

doi:10.20897/ejsteme/18476

Review Article

2026, 11(1), Article No: 25

STEM+intercultural: Integrating STEM education with indigenous ancestral knowledge, traditional knowledge, and intercultural contexts. A systematic literature review

Luis Oviedo-Berrocal ¹ ^* , Myriam Ortiz-Padilla ¹, Marlene Zwierewicz ², Jacob Vargas-Arteaga ¹, Melchor Gómez-García ³

¹ Universidad Simón Bolívar, COLOMBIA ² Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe, BRAZIL ³ Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, SPAIN
^* Corresponding Author

https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18476

Published in Volume 11 Issue 1: 27 Apr 2026

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Abstract

STEM education has become an interdisciplinary approach that integrates multiple disciplines to foster students’ skills for addressing global and local challenges. It focuses on learning experiences that embrace cultural diversity and promote contextualized learning within educational settings. This review examines the integration of indigenous ancestral knowledge, traditional knowledge, and intercultural contexts within the STEM educational framework. The systematic literature review followed the PRISMA methodology, including searches across four databases Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Taylor & Francis, focusing on studies published between 2020 and 2024 and applying predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Sixteen studies were analyzed, employing qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches across different world regions, with educational experiences situated in rural, indigenous, and intercultural communities at various educational levels. The results reveal a growing trend toward contextualized and integrative STEM teaching that emphasizes the cultural dimensions of indigenous and traditional knowledge. The findings also highlight the challenges and barriers in curriculum integration, persistent epistemic differences, and the role of STEM education as a tool for epistemic justice. In addition, they point to its potential as a foundation for future research on integrating ancestral and traditional knowledge in diverse intercultural contexts

Figure 1. Process of identifying and selecting studies based on PRISMA

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APA 7th edition

In-text citation: (Oviedo-Berrocal et al., 2026)
Reference: Oviedo-Berrocal, L., Ortiz-Padilla, M., Zwierewicz, M., Vargas-Arteaga, J., & Gómez-García, M. (2026). STEM+intercultural: Integrating STEM education with indigenous ancestral knowledge, traditional knowledge, and intercultural contexts. A systematic literature review. European Journal of STEM Education, 11(1), Article 25. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18476

AMA 10th edition

In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Oviedo-Berrocal L, Ortiz-Padilla M, Zwierewicz M, Vargas-Arteaga J, Gómez-García M. STEM+intercultural: Integrating STEM education with indigenous ancestral knowledge, traditional knowledge, and intercultural contexts. A systematic literature review. European Journal of STEM Education. 2026;11(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18476

Chicago

In-text citation: (Oviedo-Berrocal et al., 2026)
Reference: Oviedo-Berrocal, Luis, Myriam Ortiz-Padilla, Marlene Zwierewicz, Jacob Vargas-Arteaga, and Melchor Gómez-García. "STEM+intercultural: Integrating STEM education with indigenous ancestral knowledge, traditional knowledge, and intercultural contexts. A systematic literature review". European Journal of STEM Education 2026 11 no. 1 (2026): 25. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18476

Harvard

In-text citation: (Oviedo-Berrocal et al., 2026)
Reference: Oviedo-Berrocal, L., Ortiz-Padilla, M., Zwierewicz, M., Vargas-Arteaga, J., and Gómez-García, M. (2026). STEM+intercultural: Integrating STEM education with indigenous ancestral knowledge, traditional knowledge, and intercultural contexts. A systematic literature review. European Journal of STEM Education, 11(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18476

MLA

In-text citation: (Oviedo-Berrocal et al., 2026)
Reference: Oviedo-Berrocal, Luis et al. "STEM+intercultural: Integrating STEM education with indigenous ancestral knowledge, traditional knowledge, and intercultural contexts. A systematic literature review". European Journal of STEM Education, vol. 11, no. 1, 2026, 25. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18476

Vancouver

In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Oviedo-Berrocal L, Ortiz-Padilla M, Zwierewicz M, Vargas-Arteaga J, Gómez-García M. STEM+intercultural: Integrating STEM education with indigenous ancestral knowledge, traditional knowledge, and intercultural contexts. A systematic literature review. European Journal of STEM Education. 2026;11(1):25. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18476

Keywords

STEM education, ancestral knowledge, indigenous knowledge, traditional knowledge, curriculum, interculturality

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