<![CDATA[This systematic literature review investigates core STEM-PjBL pedagogical mechanisms and their alignment with Islamic educational principles, as well as the potential implications of this alignment for culturally relevant contextualized higher education STEM pedagogy framed within an Islamic orientation. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, thematic synthesis and quality appraisal of the studies utilising the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was conducted on 17 peer-reviewed papers published between 2016-24. It was found that STEM-PjBL stressed collaborative inquiry, authentic problem-solving, iterative refinement, interdisciplinary integration, and community-oriented learning throughout. They have structurally substantive similarities with Wadud implies Shura, Maslaha, Ihsan and Tawhid principles. Simultaneously, it also reveals frictions around learning agency and constructivist inquiry, and contextually situated understandings of the value-practice nexus. This review suggests that contextually situated reimaginings of STEM-PjBL within particular cultural traditions may enhance culturally responsive STEM pedagogy. Future studies may explore comparative contexts in which STEM-PjBL is interpreted, adapted, and enacted within Islamic higher education systems. These studies may help elucidate how institutional culture, educational values, and local pedagogy traditions mediate the tensions between widely circulated STEM pedagogies and contextually rooted local practices.]]>
