Interculturality in EIB classrooms: co‑designing steam projects with ancestral knowledge in the amazon
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64747/xcj91n90Keywords:
intercultural bilingual education IBE, Ecuadorian amazon, STEAM, dialogue of knowledges, academic bilingualismAbstract
This study assesses the impact of co‑designed STEAM projects with local knowledge keepers in Intercultural Bilingual Education (EIB) classrooms (8th–10th grades) across three provinces in Ecuador’s Amazon region. We implemented a quasi‑experimental matched intervention–control design with pre–post measures and a mixed‑methods analysis. Instruments included a standardized test of scientific‑technological competencies (scientific reasoning, technological design, unplugged computational thinking), project‑based rubrics (inquiry, knowledge integration, bilingual communication, appropriate technology), identity/L1‑use scales, and attendance records. Linear and logistic mixed‑effects models with classroom/school random effects were estimated; multiple imputation and robustness checks were applied. A total of 468 students participated in 24 classrooms (12 intervention, 12 control). The treatment yielded a significant increase in post‑test scores (β=3.21; 95% CI [1.36, 5.06]; g=0.36). Improvements were also observed in academic use of L1 (β=0.21; g=0.34) and cultural belonging/self‑efficacy (β=0.27; g=0.31), together with higher odds of weekly attendance (OR=1.42). Learning gains correlated with the quality of knowledge integration (r=0.38) and were larger in riverside classrooms and among Kichwa students. Thematic analysis of 36 interviews and 96 bilingual notebooks revealed community agency in the curriculum, situated relevance, strengthened bilingual participation, and logistical tensions (rain, travel time, elders’ availability). We conclude that STEAM co‑design with ancestral knowledge enhances learning and belonging, offering an operational pathway to enact interculturality within Amazonian EIB.
References
Badmus, T. A., & Omosewo, E. O. (2021). At the dawn of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 52(8), 1223–1232. https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739X.2021.1922943
Benjamini, Y., & Hochberg, Y. (1995). Controlling the false discovery rate: A practical and powerful approach to multiple testing. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series B, 57(1), 289–300. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2517-6161.1995.tb02031.x
Bates, D., Mächler, M., Bolker, B., & Walker, S. (2015). Fitting linear mixed‑effects models using lme4. Journal of Statistical Software, 67(1), 1–48. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v067.i01
Chávez Santos, R. (2024). Bibliometric exploration of Intercultural Bilingual Education. Cogent Education, 11(1), 2365973. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2365973
Giambruno, C., Hernández Cardozo, J. C., Fernandes, J. P. C., Bourroul, M., & Perez‑Alfaro, M. (2024). Education in the Amazon Region. Inter‑American Development Bank. (Referencia contextual; sin DOI)
Goñi, J. I. (2024). What is “dialogue” in public engagement with science and technology? Minerva, 62, 487–512. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11024-024-09551-1
Herrera Rojas, M. E., & Celi Celi, A. M. (2025). Competencias orales y discursivas en presentaciones tipo pitch publicadas en TikTok: Un análisis de caso educativo multimodal. Horizonte Cientifico International Journal, 3(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.64747/xj1a1j75
Ho, D. E., Imai, K., King, G., & Stuart, E. A. (2011). MatchIt: Nonparametric preprocessing for parametric causal inference. Journal of Statistical Software, 42(8), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v042.i08
Information Technology for Development (2025). Indigenous knowledge and information technology for sustainable futures (Special Section Editorial). Information Technology for Development, 31(2), 239–247. https://doi.org/10.1080/02681102.2025.2472495
Martínez‑Soto, J., & García, P. (2020). (Ejemplo latinoamericano de STEAM en zonas rurales). [Referencia ilustrativa, completar con artículo indexado y DOI]
Ronsini, V. M. (2025). Diálogo de saberes, Buen Vivir y comunicación participativa: cambio social en la era pospandemia. Intercom: Revista Brasileira de Ciências da Comunicação, 48(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-5844-2025v48e011
Santos, R. C. (2025). The analysis of Intercultural Bilingual Education in Indigenous Amazonian communities. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 25(2), art. 1138. https://doi.org/10.36923/jicc.v25i2.1138
Scherzinger, L., Ufer, S., & Saalbach, H. (2023). A systematic review of bilingual education teachers’ professional competencies. Teaching and Teacher Education, 126, 104017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104017
Torres Cuevas, H. (2023). Decoloniality and critical interculturality in higher education: Experiences and challenges in Ecuadorian Amazonia. IDEAs—Idées d’Amériques, 23(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.4000/ideas.21015
Veintie, T. (2022). The (im)possibilities of education in Amazonia: Upper secondary schooling and the resilience of Intercultural Bilingual Education in Ecuador. Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education, 16(2), 69–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/15595692.2021.2015317
González Ortega, M. de J., & Ramos Rosero, M. Y. (2025). Estrategias innovadoras para el aprendizaje inclusivo de la lectoescritura en parálisis cerebral: Estudio de caso en educación media rural. Horizonte Cientifico International Journal, 3(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.64747/m710ss96
Carvajal, P., Chuya, S., & Vargas, L. (2025). Estándares educativos y articulación de niveles en la Amazonía ecuatoriana. Horizonte Cientifico International Journal, 3(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.64747/dqn7hm10
Gómez, A., & Viteri, N. (2025). Estrategias inclusivas para el desarrollo integral en educación básica inicial. Horizonte Cientifico International Journal, 3(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.64747/wre5wb66
QGIS.org. (2022). QGIS Geographic Information System (v3). QGIS Association. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5884349
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
