LEVERAGING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR PEDAGOGICAL INNOVATION IN STEM EDUCATION: A CASE FROM KWARA STATE SCHOOLS

Intelligent Learning Systems (ILS) are rapidly reshaping educational practices, and stakeholders in the education sector are increasingly embracing their transformative potential. Despite this progress, integration in many contexts has been limited mainly to social interaction, with minimal pedagogical application. This study investigated the integration of of Intelligent Learning Systems (ILS) as a means of leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) for pedagogical innovation among STEM secondary school teachers in Kwara State, focusing on teachers’ awareness, accessibility, and utilization of AI-based instructional technologies, as well as demographic differences in usage. A descriptive survey design was employed with a sample of 327 STEM teachers drawn from public and private secondary schools through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a validated and reliable questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.87) and analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. The findings revealed that teachers demonstrated substantially high awareness of ILS and AI tools (overall mean = 1.98), average accessibility (overall mean = 2.22), and limited utilization (overall mean = 2.37). Significant differences were found between public and private school teachers, with public school teachers reporting higher usage, while no significant gender difference was observed. However, subject discipline was found to significantly influence both access and utilization of AI tools. The study concluded although STEM teachers are aware of AI’s potential, infrastructural barriers, limited technical support, and modest practical application hinder full integration. It recommended targeted training, investment in digital infrastructure, and supportive policy frameworks to enhance effective AI-driven pedagogy.