INTEGRATING SMART AGRO-TECHNOLOGIES INTO PRE-UNIVERSITY STEM CURRICULUM: A CASE STUDY OF THE ACADEMIC LYCEUM AT TERMEZ INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND AGRO-TECHNOLOGIES, SURKHANDARYA REGION

Abstract

This study examines how early exposure to smart agro-technologies at the academic lyceum level influences STEM retention and research readiness of first-year university students. Using a quasi-experimental design at the Academic Lyceum of Termez Institute of Engineering and Agro-Technologies in Surxondaryo Region, Uzbekistan, we tracked 142 lyceum graduates over the 2024-2025 academic year. Students who participated in the “AgroTech Vertical” program — featuring IoT-based soil monitoring, drone mapping, and AI-driven crop disease detection — demonstrated 34% higher research project completion rates and 22% higher critical thinking scores in their first university semester compared to the control group. Findings suggest that regionally contextualized, technology-integrated lyceum curricula can reduce the “lyceum-to-university gap” in engineering and agricultural fields.