STEM

The 2024 winners of the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Excellence in Science Teaching have just been announced. Daniel Edwards from Montello Primary School in Tasmania and Alice Leung from Concord High School in New South Wales have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to the profession

It is estimated that within the next 5 years, over 90% of jobs will require STEM skills. In this article, we speak to Daniel Edwards, STEM/Digital Technologies teacher at Montello Primary School and Parklands High School in Burnie, Tasmania, about the value of implementing STEM as a subject, and the amazing successes his students have had.

A new study has investigated the classroom emotional experiences of boys and girls undertaking integrated STEM projects to understand the role this has on girls’ interest in STEM. To do this, researchers needed to develop and validate a research tool. We unpack the study in this episode of The Research Files.

The longstanding Prime Minister’s Prizes for Excellence in Science Teaching recognise one primary and one secondary STEM teacher for their outstanding contribution to the field. The 2023 winners were announced late last year and in this episode, we speak with them both about the work they’ve been recognised for.

In an earlier article for Teacher, Kristie Schulz from Parklands Christian College explained the pedagogical framework used by STEM Studies teachers at the Queensland school. Here, she details how the program has been implemented in 3 prep classes.

How many female scientists are mentioned in high school science curricula here in Australia? This question kicks off today’s Teacher Staffroom podcast that highlights some of the key articles, podcasts and infographics we’ve published this month that celebrate women and girls in STEM.

In 2018, Kristie Schulz from Parklands Christian College wrote 3 articles for Teacher sharing how the school had successfully introduced a new STEM Studies elective for its year 10 students. Five years on, she shares details of research findings looking at the pedagogical framework used and how the program has since been implemented in 3 prep classes.

It's well-known that women are underrepresented in participation in STEM education and the STEM workforce. The 2021 Youth in STEM study surveyed participants about their awareness and perception of STEM subjects and careers. As this infographic shows, the findings reveal age is important for girls when it comes to interest in studying engineering.

Each year, the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Excellence in Science Teaching recognise the critical role primary and secondary school educators play in inspiring and encouraging students to take up an interest and consider careers in STEM. Last night, Judith Stutchbury and Donna Buckley were named winners of the 2023 prizes.

In the latest episode of our podcast series, The Research Files, we spoke with Dr Kathryn Ross about the gender bias evident in Australian high school science curricula. In this article, we speak with primary school STEM teacher Megan Hayes about how she ensures her students learn about the contributions of Australian female scientists in order to improve girls’ participation in STEM.