Culturally responsive challenge-based STEM education: a pre–post study with rural and Indigenous primary students in Mexico

Abstract

[EN]High-quality Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is widely recognized as a catalyst for sustainable development because it cultivates critical thinking, creativity, and digital literacy. Mexico’s Ministry of Public Education echoes this view through national STEAM initiatives that call for culturally relevant strategies capable of reaching historically marginalized rural and Indigenous communities. Challenge- Based Learning (CBL) and STEAM activities, such as building edible DNA models, culinary algorithms and zero-kilometer food challenges, offer a promising remedy: they merge core scientific concepts with hands-on, arts-infused tasks that rely on inexpensive, locally sourced materials. To examine their potential association with changes in students ′ perceptions, this study adopted a quasi- experimental pre-test/post-test design without a control group. A total of 230 sixth-grade primary school students from two remote regions completed a validated questionnaire before and after five contextualized STEM challenges. Descriptive statistics, paired samples tests, and subgroup analyses explored gender and geography- based differences. Students’ overall perceptions of STEM improved significantly (p < 0.01), with the largest gains in Technology and Mathematics. However, shifts in career aspirations and self-efficacy were not statistically significant, and gender- or region-based differences proved negligible. These results suggest that short CBL interventions may be associated with improvements attitudes but may be insufficient to influence vocational outcomes. Policymakers and practitioners working in low-resource settings can leverage CBL to make STEM learning more engaging. Extending program duration, embedding culturally contextualized materials, and integrating explicit career guidance could magnify impact and help advance Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 10.