What began as a mother’s effort to support her own children blossomed into a doctoral study exploring the links between early exposure to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and cognitive development in young children.
The research of North-West University (NWU) academic Dr Moleboheng Mokhele-Ramulumo is profoundly shaped by her personal experience as a mother. When both her sons, Wavhudi and Rivhavhudi, experienced speech delays as toddlers, she sought digital educational games to support their language development. To her surprise, it was not just their vocabulary that grew; their curiosity for science, mathematics and complex puzzles became evident as they interacted with STEM-based games on her phone.
Now a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education and a member of the Research Unit for Self-Directed Learning at the NWU, Dr Mokhele-Ramulumo’s PhD research shows that early exposure to STEM concepts significantly enhances visual and conceptual reasoning in young learners.
Head start for youngsters exposed to STEM
Her study, which focused on Grade R learners from private schools in Bloemfontein, found that children in schools with integrated STEM curricula outperformed their peers in spatial reasoning, visual interpretation and conceptual understanding. These schools incorporated hands-on science experiments, visual problem-solving tasks and interactive logic games, offering young learners a head start in cognitive development.
When asked why early STEM education matters, Dr Mokhele-Ramulumo points to broader developmental benefits. “This is not just about careers in science or technology. It’s about critical thinking, logical reasoning and adaptability, skills that matter across all professions.”
Her findings have received notable attention from education stakeholders.
Opportunity to influence education policy
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly from the Free State Department of Education,” says Dr Mokhele-Ramulumo. “They invited me to present a report on the findings of my PhD, and following that engagement, I am now implementing my Thuthuka NRF-funded project in collaboration with the department.”
This project, which is officially underway, focuses on fostering global citizenship education through science education, visual literacy and indigenous knowledge systems. “This will be achieved by reviewing the current Grade R curriculum and integrating key recommendations from my doctoral research. The project has already received full ethical approval and represents a significant step toward bridging research and policy. It’s incredibly fulfilling to see academic work directly contributing to meaningful change in the public education system.”
Dr Mokhele-Ramulumo also reflects on how her personal experience has shaped her academic work. “My academic work is deeply grounded in my lived experience as a mother,” she explains. “Motherhood has given me a lens of empathy and urgency. I don't just want to publish, I want change. I want to help create an education system that is not only fit for my own children but for all South African children. I want to see the same spark in other children that I saw in my boys when they engaged with educational tools that respected their intelligence and curiosity.”
Dr Mokhele-Ramulumo’s study links early STEM education to improved visual literacy and scientific reasoning among preschoolers, inspired by her sons and driven by a vision for inclusive, transformative education in South Africa.
