Imagining a Decolonial STEAM Education Framework through the Lens of Pagal: An Epistemological Integration in the context of Nepal

Abstract

The issue of epistemicide has gained increasing scholarly attention as researchers seek to challenge Eurocentric colonial frameworks of knowledge. As STEAM education continues to expand globally, including in Nepal, this philosophical inquiry reimagines a culturally responsive and decolonial STEAM framework. While STEAM extends the traditional STEM model by incorporating the arts, its epistemological foundations remain deeply rooted in Western traditions and often marginalize indigenous ways of knowing. Drawing on the theoretical perspectives of decoloniality, wisdom-based inquiry, and transformative learning, this study employs a hermeneutic reading of Laxmi Prasad Devkota’s masterpiece Pagal (“The Lunatic”) together with critical discourse analysis to reconceptualize STEAM education. It also explores the potential of Nepali literature as a source of epistemological integration by demonstrating how Devkota’s work transcends conventional disciplinary boundaries. The poem posits foregrounds imagination, ecological connectedness, intuition, and emotion as legitimate forms of knowledge, offering a foundation for a pluralistic, culturally responsive, and transformative vision of STEAM education grounded in epistemic justice.