Professor Emeritus Peter Okebukola, a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), has introduced a new approach to advancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.

The method, called the Model-And-Surpass Pedagogy (MSP), was officially launched at the 2025 international conference of the International Research Group (IRG), co-hosted with the Commonwealth Association of Science, Technology and Mathematics Educators (CASTME). The event wrapped up on September 18 with participants from the United States, United Kingdom, Finland, Nigeria, Ghana, Burundi, The Gambia, Mauritius and Sierra Leone.

Okebukola, the first African to win the UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the Communication and Popularisation of Science in 1992, said the MSP was developed to provide African students with culturally relevant learning methods. He explained: “My motivation for inventing methodologies for teaching science which won me the 1992 UNESCO Prize, is based on the overload of methods of teaching developed by non-Africans which are not fit for purpose for the African cultural context. The impression is always given that the method must be developed by the West to be right. Our researchers gleefully deploy these ‘oyibo’ methods and fail to look inwards to innovate in developing and researching socio-culturally relevant approaches to teaching.”

He further argued that poor student performance in STEM is partly linked to this mismatch: “Additionally, the lacklustre performance of our students in STEM can be attributed, at least in part, to this method’s mismatch. The overriding goal of my efforts is to elevate achievement in and improve the attitude of our students towards STEM.”

Okebukola recalled that in 2015, after more than four decades of research, he developed the Culturo-Techno-Contextual Approach (CTCA) and the Okebukola Eco-Techno Cultural Theory. “In the last ten years, CTCA has gained global prominence and is now in use in many African countries and several countries in Asia, Europe and North America. Its efficacy in improving students’ performance in science and non-science subjects has been confirmed by numerous studies,” he said.

Explaining the newly launched MSP, Okebukola noted: “The second method I just developed is the Model-And-Surpass Pedagogy (MSP). This is based on the framework of students modelling great scientists and striving to surpass them. The logic is that by striving to model the great scientist and implement a work plan to surpass such scientist, the student will learn the way of the scientist and work towards achieving greater heights. When there is a will, there is a way. The outcome is predicted to be improved achievement and better attitude to STEM.”

The MSP involves seven practical steps. According to him: “(1) Teacher selects two great scientists who have done work on the topic to be taught. One should be an African; (2) At least two days before the lesson, students are asked to find out brief history of the two scientists, highlighting their trials and triumphs and attitudes worth emulating and surpassing; (3) At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher asks students in groups (as convenient) to compare and contrast the two scientists. Groups report their conclusions on the two scientists; (4) Each student should note the attributes of the two scientists he/she wishes to model and surpass; (5) Teacher introduces the topic of the lesson and presents it as much as possible, through the lens of the two great scientists; (6) As the lesson progresses, students are engaged by the teacher in interactive discussion on the topic in line with the lesson objectives and content. Practical activities should be encouraged through experiments. Students are to share their thoughts on how they intend to model and surpass the scientists in relation to the topic. Teacher makes notes on the board during the lesson; and (7) Lesson closes with a summary, short evaluation questions and a request for students to submit their notes before the next class on content learned/experiments in relation to what they modelled and wished to surpass in the two scientists.”

Looking ahead, he revealed that researchers are already testing the method across West Africa. “Work has started in earnest to test MSP. A team of researchers from four African countries (Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia and Sierra Leone) from the Africa Centre of Excellence for Innovative and Transformative STEM Education (ACEITSE) of Lagos State University are initiating a series of studies to test the efficacy of the pedagogy. The goal is to ensure that MSP contributes to the attainment of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 – The Africa We Want. The days of Africa playing second fiddle in STEM enterprise will soon be over.”

Keynote speakers at the event included Professor Jomo Mutegi of Old Dominion University, Virginia, US; Professor Pascal Doh of the University of Turku, Finland; Professor Uchenna Maristella Nzewi of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; and Professor Shari Watkins of The American University, Washington DC. Fellowship awards were also conferred on Dr. Sue Dale Tunnicliffe (Chairperson, CASTME Board of Trustees), Professor Juma Shabani of the University of Burundi, Professor Ibiyinka Ogunlade of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, and Professor Emeritus Peter A. Okebukola himself