Toward a disruptive neuroepistemological pedagogy: a conceptual framework for STEM education

Abstract

This article proposes Disruptive Neuroepistemological Pedagogy (DNEP) as a conceptual and design-oriented framework for STEM education. The central claim is that some STEM concepts should not be taught only as stable curricular content, but as products of scientific disruption: they emerged because previous explanations became insufficient, because anomalies required new models, or because their use transformed society. DNEP integrates three dimensions: epistemological disruption, neuroeducational meaningfulness, and ethical-social responsibility. Its novelty does not lie in adding neuroscience, epistemology, or critical pedagogy as independent domains, but in coordinating them around disruptive STEM concepts that require conceptual revision, model-based reasoning, and responsible use. The article follows a conceptual and integrative review methodology. It defines the research gap, presents the core principles of DNEP, specifies design criteria, proposes a partial instructional model, and identifies boundary conditions for implementation. The framework is positioned against behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, holistic-humanistic education, and STE(A)M through an analytical comparison focused on learning, disruption, emotion, curriculum, teacher mediation, inquiry, and assessment. The article concludes that DNEP can contribute to STEM education by helping students understand why scientific ideas change, how such change can be learned meaningfully, and why scientific knowledge requires ethical and social responsibility.