Indigenous Knowledge Systems and STEAM Education: A Secondary Data Analysis of Culturally Responsive Pedagogies in India and Global Contexts

Purpose – This study investigates how Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) reconfigure STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education through secondary analysis of published case studies, policy documents, and curriculum frameworks. The research challenges Western-centric STEAM models by analyzing how oral traditions, local ecologies, and community-based knowledge systems function as foundational resources for innovation-oriented curricula across diverse cultural contexts. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopts a qualitative secondary data analysis design, systematically reviewing published empirical case studies, policy documents, and curriculum materials. Six IKS-STEAM integration initiatives were selected for synthesis: three from India (Warli art-geometry, Gond ecological calendars, stepwell architecture-engineering) and three from international contexts (Māori science integration in New Zealand, Navajo geometry in USA, Aboriginal astronomy in Australia). Data sources included 42 peer-reviewed journal articles, 8 policy documents (NEP 2020, UNESCO reports, national curriculum frameworks), 15 curriculum resource documents from IKS India Portal and NCERT, and documented case descriptions from educational research databases. Thematic synthesis methodology was employed to identify convergent patterns across cases, focusing on engagement mechanisms, pedagogical approaches, interdisciplinarity, institutional constraints, and sustainability orientations. Findings – Secondary analysis reveals five dominant patterns across documented IKS-STEAM initiatives: (1) Indigenous knowledge functions as an engagement catalyst, with published studies reporting increased student attendance, participation, and cultural identity affirmation when STEAM concepts are embedded in familiar cultural practices; (2) experiential and community-based learning modes position elders, artisans, and knowledge-holders as co-educators, challenging conventional classroom hierarchies; (3) natural interdisciplinarity emerges as IKS practices inherently integrate multiple STEAM domains without artificial separation; (4) institutional and policy constraints remain pervasive, with documented cases highlighting assessment misalignment, rigid syllabi, and teacher unpreparedness as persistent barriers; (5) sustainability and justice orientations are foregrounded, connecting local ecological knowledge to global frameworks such as Sustainable Development Goals. Cross-case comparison shows that initiatives with formal policy support (Māori context with national curriculum recognition, Indian cases under NEP 2020) demonstrate higher sustainability than ad hoc implementations. Originality/value – This study contributes to cultural studies of science education by synthesizing dispersed empirical evidence on IKS-STEAM integration through systematic secondary analysis. Using India's NEP 2020 alongside international frameworks, the research demonstrates how Indigenous epistemologies function not as supplementary content but as alternative organizing principles for science education. The study introduces a five-dimensional comparative framework (knowledge sources, learning modes, temporal orientations, assessment practices, cultural contexts) for analyzing epistemic pluralism in practice. It advances decolonizing science education discourse by foregrounding how power, identity, and knowledge legitimacy are enacted across diverse contexts, moving beyond policy rhetoric toward evidence-based, culturally responsive STEAM pedagogy. The secondary data approach enhances accessibility and transferability, enabling educators and policymakers to learn from documented initiatives without requiring primary research infrastructure.