This study investigates the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into science curricula at Nigerian universities, motivated by the imperative to prepare students for the evolving demands of the digital age. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research explores the impact of AI integration on learning outcomes, student engagement, and overall educational quality in science education. Quantitative analysis focuses on academic records, assessing the performance metrics of 180 science education students enrolled in AI-integrated courses across three Nigerian universities. Diverse representation across institutions and academic levels ensures comprehensive insights. Qualitative data, gathered through semi-structured interviews with three experienced lecturers, delves into their perspectives on AI integration in science education. Interviews, conducted via online platforms, highlight the rationale for integrating AI into the curriculum and the lecturers' experiences with AI in their classrooms. Statistical analysis of quantitative data, including regression analysis, identifies patterns and correlations in student performance. Qualitative data undergoes thematic analysis, revealing key insights and recurring themes within educators' and students' narratives. The results demonstrate a tangible link between AI integration and science education, offering a nuanced understanding of advantages and disadvantages. This research advocates for an adaptive curriculum that equips students with AI-related skills, contributing valuable insights for educational stakeholders on effective AI integration into science curricula. Ultimately, the study aims to foster the development of future experts capable of leveraging AI for scientific innovation in Nigeria's evolving technological landscape.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in education for sustainable development (ESD). Although several national and international agencies, e.g., the UN or UNESCO, have promoted its deployment in higher education institutions, educators are still facing problems with how to articulate this type of education within the curriculum, allowing students to develop their technical and labor competencies, and soft skills as well. In this way, this study describes a methodology with Project-Based Learning in renewable and sustainable energies through the development of an electrical vehicle (EV) known as EOLO. This initiative arose from an industry-academia collaboration to develop the first Colombian EV with the support of solar and wind energy sources. Twelve engineering students participated in the development of the vehicle through a set of capstone projects over a year and a half with the support of two tutors (professors) and two engineers (technical staff) of the project. Additionally, two versions of EOLO with vertical and horizontal axis wind turbines were made with the cooperation of the students. The results evidence that the methodology helped to engage students, promoted meaningfully and situated learning through real-world problems in renewable energies, and fostered motivation and peer collaboration. Nonetheless, aspects such as the improvement of the communications channels, the revision of the complexity of the projects, the sense of community to achieve a common goal, or the tutoring and monitoring processes should be strengthened for further initiatives and/or active learning methodologies. In this sense, some challenges and recommendations that can help to develop methodologies that combine ESD and engineering are provided based on the experience in this study.

Educational interest in sustainable development (SD) and sustainability has increased over the last fifteen years, promoted by international guidelines and agencies such as the UN or UNESCO, or the Incheon Declaration. While the current state-of-art discloses plenty of student-centered proposals in these fields, there is scarce evidence on how these are being addressed in pre- and in-service teacher education programs combining science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). Searching to tackle this gap, we performed a systematic literature review based on 207 studies retrieved from the databases Scopus, WoS, and ERIC through PRISMA guidelines. The outcomes foremost reveal the following: (1) Pre-service programs lack courses or subjects that allow integrating sustainability and STEAM areas in an interdisciplinary approach. (2) Interventions for STEAM teacher education are focused on mathematics and statistics typically for the pre-service stage only with a proposal for rural teachers. (3) In-service teachers manifest difficulties in linking theoretical concepts with real-world experiences in classrooms. And (4) educational strategies employ problem-based learning, inquiry-based learning, escape rooms, robotics, or flipped classrooms. The implications of this study can help researchers, teachers, or stakeholders in the co-design of initiatives or methodologies that improve pre- and in-service teacher education programs to cope with STEAM education, sustainability, and SD, highlighting the importance of the teachers’ role.

The norm for pedagogical situations in the 21st century in education is digitization. After the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the use of blended learning models (BLMs) at universities has become crucial. The use of teaching in the classroom, particularly in higher education, enhances student learning. In order to build effective teaching-learning, blended learning (BL) places learners in a new learning environment based on technology. The purpose of the current study is to figure out the viability of embracing a BL method in learning science course at the secondary school level. The current study project has been conducted using a quasi-experimental design. The University of Abuja’s Center for Distance Learning and Continuous Education recruited 120 undergraduate students for this study. The blended learning model success test (BMAT) and blended learning model retention test (BMRT) were the instruments used for data gathering. The experimental groups’ students were instructed using BL methods for eight weeks. The three tests, including the pre-test, post-test I, and post-test II, were given to six groups. Statistical package for social science version 26 was utilized to assess the hypotheses and provide response to the research questions with mean score, standard variation, and error, while the inferential statistics utilized related samples t-test at level of significant of 0.05. Results showed a significant difference between the mean pre- and post-test achievement and retention capacity of students who were receiving science instruction through BL. The study concluded that learners’ achievement and retention in science are significantly improved by BLMs. It is recommended that BL approaches be utilized for teaching the sciences because they improve the learner’s retention and academic performance.

With the growing prevalence of distance learning in educational contexts, the open educational resources (OER) declaration mandated tertiary institutions to establish their own repositories to encourage knowledge sharing. As a result, the Nigerian National Universities Commission directed universities to establish their own repositories in order for lecturers to upload their learning contents and take advantage of the universality of knowledge so as to share and distribute knowledge. However, the successful adoption of OER depends on lecturers’ awareness and readiness to effectively implement it. Following the directives, it was discovered that responses by lecturers were low in terms of compliance, and this may not be unconnected to lack of awareness of OER which influences lecturers’ skillful readiness to use it for instructional purposes. In order to ameliorate the problem, this study checked distance learning lecturers’ awareness and readiness to use OER for instruction. A descriptive survey design was used for the study out of which 104 distance learning lecturers from University of Abuja’s Center for Distance Learning and Continuing were drawn as participants in the study through a multi-staged sampling technique. Lecturers’ attitude towards OER and lecturers’ readiness towards OER constructed on a four-point Likert scale which were validated by several experts and yielded a reliability figure of 0.81 and 0.79, respectively using Cronbach’s alpha were used to obtain data. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research questions while inferential statistics involving an independent samples t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that lecturers are aware (grand mean: 3.27) and ready (grand mean: 3.34) to use OER for instructional but no significant difference was found in terms of male and female lecturers’ awareness (t = 2.164, p = 0.61) and readiness (t = 1.012, p = 0.76) to use OER for instructional purposes. It was recommended that lecturers should be trained on how to properly harness the invaluable opportunities brought about by OER repository to add value to their lectures and learning contents and more awareness should be created on the importance of OER and what it brings in terms of making learning universal, flexible and affordable. The results of the study provide insights into the current awareness and readiness levels of distance learning lecturers in relation to OER adoption.

The norm for pedagogical situations in the twenty-first century in education is digitization. After the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the use of blended learning models at universities has become crucial. The use of teaching in the classroom, particularly in higher education, enhances student learning. In order to build effective teaching-learning, blended learning places learners in a new learning environment based on technology. The purpose of the current study is to figure out the viability of embracing a blended learning method in learning science course at the secondary school level. The current study has been conducted using a quasi-experimental design. The University of Abuja’s Centre for Distance Learning and Continuous Education (CDL & CE) recruited 120 undergraduate students for this study. The Blended Models Achievement Test (BMAT) and Blended Models Retention Test were the instruments used for data gathering (BMRT). The experimental groups’ students were instructed using blended learning methods for eight weeks. The three tests, including the pre-test, post-test I, and post-test II, were given to six groups. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26 was utilized to assess the hypotheses and provide response to the research questions with mean score, standard variation and error, while the inferential statistics utilized related samples t-test at level of significant of 0.05. Results showed a significant difference between the mean pre- and post-test achievement and retention capacity of students who were receiving science instruction through blended learning. The study came to the conclusion that learners’ achievement and retention in science are significantly improved by blended learning models. It is recommended that blended learning approaches be utilized for teaching the sciences because they improve the learner’s retention and academic performance.