The Australian Government is committed to innovation in and the improvement of science, mathematics and technology education in Australian schools. Funding is available from the Australian School Innovation in Science, Technology and Mathematics (ASISTM) Project for school projects that will:
- encourage innovation in Australian schools and extend the innovative capacity of students;
- promote world-class teaching and learning of science, technology and mathematics in Australian schools; and
- assist in attracting to, and retaining in, the teaching profession, sufficient numbers of high quality graduates in the fields of science, technology and mathematics.
A total of $34 million is being made available by the Australian Government for ASISTM projects in schools over seven years.
This report describes research into 16 ASISTM projects selected to be broadly representative of exemplars in innovation. Case studies of each project were constructed from interviews with a range of key participants, and used to develop and refine an innovation framework that is used to make sense of and describe the key features of each project. The major issue binding these projects was found to be that of student interest and engagement, and this was pursued through involving students in contemporary science, technology and mathematics (STM) practices in authentic settings. The findings point to an enriched set of purposes of STM education implicit in these projects, a set of pedagogical practices that are varied and consistent with contemporary educational thinking, and a varied array of ‘actors’ recruited to these projects. The study argues that the quality, sustainability and transferability of these innovations is linked to the alignment of these ideas, practices and actors. From the analysis a set of recommendations is generated regarding future practice in ASISTM or similar initiatives, and a set of broader implications drawn which argue that these case studies represent a productive future direction for education in STM.
ASISTM Exemplary Practice Report 
(492.0 KB)
The ASISTM Project integrates Elements 1 and 2 of the Boosting Innovation Science Technology and Mathematics Teaching (BISTMT) Programme. The Australian Government has engaged a National Administrator to administer the ASISTM projects for schools.
The National Administrator has established a dedicated website for ASISTM. The website, http://www.asistm.edu.au/ 
, provides further information about ASISTM, including Guidelines for the development and submission of project proposals, the selection criteria to be applied, and other resources and contacts available to assist projects.
For further general information contact the ASISTM HelpLine: telephone (03) 9657 9748 or email asistm@curriculum.edu.au.
For information relating to funding rounds and to access the online expressions of interest forms go to www.asistm.edu.au 
.
For information relating to current and past ASISTM projects, go to www.asistm.edu.au