Using transformative GIS pedagogies to translate STEM to STEAM: Integrating the arts in African higher education

Abstract

In the study reported on here we investigated how transformative pedagogical approaches involving geographical information systems (GIS) could support the transition from traditional STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) to a more integrative STEAM model in which the A refers to the arts, used here as an umbrella term that also encompasses humanistic perspectives. While the STEM framework has received extensive attention over the past decade – particularly in relation to teaching practices, learning outcomes, and assessment methods – ongoing debates about its disciplinary boundaries and its capacity to address complex socio-environmental challenges have stimulated a shift toward STEAM, which recognises the value of artistic and humanistic ways of knowing alongside scientific inquiry. Using a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed publications on GIS, STEM and STEAM education published between 2014 and 2024 and indexed in major education and geography databases (such as Scopus, Web of Science, Education Resources Information Center [ERIC] and Google Scholar), we map international trends and identify the countries and regions represented, including work emerging from Sub-Saharan Africa. The analysis highlights the potential of geography, and specifically GIS, to act as a conduit for designing integrative learning experiences that connect spatial analysis with creative and critical engagement. The findings suggest that GIS-supported teaching designs can enhance students’ spatial reasoning, critical thinking and creative expression, thereby deepening cognitive engagement in STEM subjects while foregrounding contextual, ethical and cultural dimensions more typically associated with the arts. In turn, this GIS-mediated integration of arts and STEM aligns with global imperatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and responds to context-specific educational priorities in South Africa, offering concrete pathways for operationalising STEAM in school and higher-education settings.