Impact of STEM policies on effective implementation of STEM curriculum in rural secondary schools in South Africa

The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of Mathematics, Science and Technology (STEM) policy on effective implementation of STEM curriculum in rural secondary schools. The qualitative approach was undertaken and deemed appropriate to explore the impact of STEM policies on effective implementation of STEM curriculum. Data were collected by means of face-to-face in-depth interviews and document analysis. Multicultural education perspective provides the lens, taking into account diversity of learners’ contexts, equality of opportunities and addressing discriminatory practices in the implementation of STEM curriculum. The findings show that South Africa has formalized national-level strategies to strengthen STEM education, but rural secondary schools continue to lag due to infrastructure gaps, teacher shortages and limited access to sustained opportunities to learn and resources. Effective policy must therefore combine targeted funding, place-based implementation, culturally relevant pedagogy, community partnerships, and clear monitoring metrics to close the rural-urban STEM divide.