An analysis of Australian STEM education strategies

Abstract

In December 2015 the Australian state and territory governments endorsed the ‘National STEM School Education Strategy 2016–2026’. Since then, the individual jurisdictions have released their own STEM education strategies that aim to improve student STEM capabilities and aspirations. This paper analyses the various Australian STEM education strategies in relation to six themes informed by research into effective STEM education: STEM capabilities; STEM dispositions; STEM educational practices; Equity; Trajectories; and Educator capacities. The analysis shows that Australia’s STEM education strategies focus on actions aimed at building student STEM capabilities, particularly through inquiry and problem-based learning, and enhancing educator capacity. The strategies recognise student STEM learning trajectories and pay particular attention to the importance of early childhood STEM education, as well as the ways in which students’ potential career pathways might be influenced. However, less emphasis is placed on supporting key transitions in STEM education, developing student STEM dispositions, and addressing equity issues in STEM.

Teacher-Directed Versus Inquiry-Based Science Instruction: Investigating Links to Adolescent Students’ Science Dispositions Across 66 Countries

“…Like other teaching and learning strategies, what works best is a mixture of back-and-forth, non-linear combinations of implicit and explicit teaching depending on teachers' professional judgments (p. 204) Given the dwindling numbers of students opting to pursue STEM-related programs and careers in several countries across the globe (see Jones et al, 2018;Marginson et al, 2013;Murphy et al, 2018;Smith & White, 2018), science teachers may need to help students develop a vast array of positive dispositions toward science employing a blended instruction model. Prior research has also demonstrated that such a blended instruction model may lead to better student outcomes.…”

“…There is growing evidence that the number of students choosing to pursue STEM programs and careers has been dwindling over the past few decades in many countries across the world (see Jones et al, 2018;Marginson, Tytler, Freeman, & Roberts, 2013;Murphy, MacDonald, Danaia, & Wang, 2018;Smith & White, 2018). However, building a highly competent, educated, and versatile STEM workforce is crucial for developing and sustaining a global knowledge-based economy (see Freeman, Marginson, & Tytler, 2015).…”

Responding to the Demands of the STEM Education Agenda: The Experiences of Primary and Secondary Teachers from Rural, Regional and Remote Australia

“…Other countries have implemented similar strategies (e.g., the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Ireland, France, Israel, Switzerland, Italy) with centres that aim to improve the quality of STEM teaching and sometimes to increase the popularity of science and technology (Kearney, 2011). A common approach in Australia described by Murphy, MacDonald, Danaia, and Wang (2018) is to establish networks of teachers, teacher trainers and other relevant stakeholders, often at the regional level, with the aim of implementing curricular reform and supporting initiatives favouring inquiry-based learning (e.g., cross-disciplinary, thematic or project work).…”

Self-Regulation as a Basic Element of the Professional Culture of Engineers

“…Dynamic versatile changes occurring in the modern educational sphere lead the student to adapt to new conditions. Particularly acute is the problem of the effective management of one's own educational activities, achievement of educational independence, initiative and responsibility, finding a rational approach, ensuring high accuracy of educational activities, its productivity, requiring competent implementation of the regulatory and controlling functions, mastering the actions of self-regulation [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. The results of numerous studies in domestic and foreign studies confirm that the quality of the implementation of labor depends on the use of the profession and self-regulation skills of specialists in professional activities [25][26][27][28].…”