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Good practice Imported

STEPS — AI-Assisted Science Textbooks Scale Across Cameroon Baptist Convention's School Network

Cameroon · Bamenda · See the Cameroon profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 43% 53/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

GPE KIX's STEPS project used AI to draft, translate and localise 28 primary-school science and maths textbooks for Benin, Cameroon and DR Congo. Cameroon Baptist Convention's Education Department, based in Bamenda, is scaling the AI-assisted materials across its school network.

28
Textbooks and workbooks produced
94%
Teachers reporting increased confidence teaching science
80%
Teachers committing to continued use of materials
101
DR Congo schools scaling curriculum (Emmanuel Community Schools)

Details

Maturity
Scaling
Promoter
Cameroon Baptist Convention Education Department, with NextGenU/Frank Foundation and GPE KIX
Period
2024–2026
Keywords
primary education, curriculum development, teacher training, open educational resources

Context

The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics for Primary Schools (STEPS) project, funded by the Global Partnership for Education's Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (GPE KIX) and led by NextGenU/the Frank Foundation, used generative AI to help draft initial textbook content for Benin, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Objectives

The project aimed to produce curriculum-aligned, culturally relevant science and maths textbooks at speed by using AI to draft initial content and suggest local examples, translate and localise materials, then route every AI-drafted passage through human subject-matter review before use.

Activities

The result was 28 science and maths textbooks and workbooks, built on OER bases from Core Knowledge, Siyavula and the Ukuqonda Institute. In Cameroon, the pilot partner is the Cameroon Baptist Convention's Education Department, headquartered in Bamenda, which is rolling the curriculum out across its school network and moving teacher training away from costly five-day external workshops toward shorter, school-based sessions led by experienced local educators.

Results

Programme-wide, 94% of participating teachers reported increased confidence teaching science after training, and 80% committed to using the STEPS materials beyond the project's initial timeframe.

Conclusions

These figures are self-reported by teachers rather than drawn from independent pupil assessments, and no third-party evaluation of student learning outcomes has yet been published. Benin's Ministry of Education has begun formal approval procedures for the same curriculum, and DR Congo's Emmanuel Community Schools network is expanding it to all 101 of its schools, indicating uptake beyond the Cameroon pilot site.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Medium (€50k–€500k)
Time to results
Medium (1–3 years)
Staffing & skills
NextGenU / Frank Foundation (project lead), GPE KIX -- Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (funder), Cameroon Baptist Convention Education Department (Cameroon pilot partner), Core Knowledge, Siyavula, Ukuqonda Institute (OER base content providers)

Conditions for success

  • Every AI-drafted passage passed through human subject-matter review before use
  • Localisation to each country's national curriculum and cultural context rather than a one-size-fits-all textbook
  • Shift from costly multi-day external teacher workshops to shorter, school-based, locally-led training sessions

Commonly funded by

Philanthropic / foundation funding

Indicative funding routes for practices of this type — always check each programme's current calls and eligibility rules.

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

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