Opening Up Pathways: Engagement in Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering (STEM) across the Primary-Secondary School Transition

The report reviewed national and international literature and was conducted by a team of researchers lead by Professor Russell Tytler of Deakin University.  Others who contributed included eminent UK researcher Prof Jonathon Osborne of Kings College, London, Dr Anthony Tomei from the UK Nuffield Foundation, Associate Professor Helen Forgasz from Monash University and Dr Gaye Williams from Deakin University.

The review focuses on the primary to secondary school transition period as previous research had found that the persistent and progressive decline in positive attitudes toward, and interest in, school science and maths subjects is most pronounced during this transition.

The key findings of the report are:

• Career decisions are made early in life:  The majority of young people make decisions about a future STEM career by the age of 14.  Accordingly, interventions designed to increase engagement may be better targeted at primary and early secondary school rather than in the later years of schooling and university. Because of the multitude of factors operating at different developmental levels, as well as gender differences, effective interventions will need to be different at each stage of the student pathway.
• Identity is a key factor to understanding STEM participation:  Career and subject choice is increasingly being seen as related to the development of a person’s identity. For example, young people, especially girls, are reluctant to participate in the physical sciences because they often perceive the identities of engineers and physicists as incongruent with their own.
• Curriculum & pedagogy need to be more appealing, relevant and meaningful to young people:  Curriculum content, practice and assessment in maths and science needs to cater for students’ diverse backgrounds, interests and aspirations.  The relevance of STEM can be enhanced by linking students with contemporary STEM practice and exposure to role models, which also provides awareness of possible future careers.
• Quality of teachers and teaching is central to engaging students’ interest:  Investment in the quality of teachers is the most effective answer to the quality of student learning and engagement.

Opening up Pathways report PDF    (2.6 MB)  RTF    (2.8 MB)