Science teaching in BRICS: A systematic review of pedagogical approaches and challenges

Abstract

As major emerging economies, BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) are prioritizing advancements in science education to drive innovation and sustainable development. This systematic review synthesizes insights across 55 studies on policies, practices, challenges, and innovations in science teaching and learning in BRICS countries. The analysis reveals shared goals of enhancing inquiry-based, technology-integrated, hands-on pedagogies and improving teacher competencies. However, systemic constraints like large classes, limited resources, assessment pressures and lack of local contextualization persist, exacerbated by cultural barriers in countries like South Africa. Variations also emerge in research foci, with Brazil emphasizing content knowledge, China evaluating interventions, India highlighting teacher-student roles and South Africa targeting systemic challenges. While common reform directions are evident, tailored interventions responding to each nation’s unique developmental context are essential, given differing priorities. Developing context-specific solutions while collaborating to exchange best practices can enable BRICS countries to collectively strengthen science education. Cross-national comparisons reveal gaps in areas like cultural responsiveness, indigenous knowledge, and comparative outcome analyses that can be addressed in future research. As BRICS nations cooperate strategically amid shifting global paradigms, transforming science education by addressing systemic inequities and nurturing critical thinking is vital for developing talent and technological capabilities. Sustained improvements require reorienting assessment-driven structures towards creativity, curiosity and local relevance while considering cultural perspectives.