Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and training >

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This online response form should be read in conjunction with the complete discussion paper. You may respond to one, some or all of the questions. Alternatively, you may choose to complete the general comments section for each chapter...

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Please respond to any or all of the questions as well as make general comments in the space provided.
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Questions

Chapter 1 - Definitions and aims
Chapter 2 - Queensland's skill requirements
Chapter 3 - Past and future initiatives
Chapter 4 - Education and training programs
Chapter 5 - Student participation and achievement
Chapter 6 - Workforce
Chapter 7 - Community engagement and profile of STEM

Chapter 1 - Definitions and aims
Question 1.1:
Are the definitions described in this chapter appropriate in terms of breadth and inclusiveness as a basis for a STEM education and skills plan? If not, what alternative or amended definitions should be used?

Question 1.2:
How do you view the role of science education as a key building block of a future STEM plan? Are there other key factors that should be considered when developing such a plan?

Question 1.3:
To what extent do you believe that a STEM education and skills plan should be dual-purposed, focusing on enhanced STEM literacies for the whole population as well as preparing young people for careers in specialist STEM fields? How compatible do you consider these goals?

Question 1.4:
What do you consider the priorities for a 10-year STEM plan should be?

Question 1.5:
What role can you or your organisation play to contribute to STEM education and training in Queensland?

General comments on Chapter 1:

Chapter 2 - Queensland's skill requirements
Question 2.1:
To what extent is STEM a driver of innovation in a global knowledge economy and what is its role in future workforce preparedness?

Question 2.2:
To what extent are the types of STEM occupations listed in this chapter suitable as the focus of a future STEM education and skills plan? What modifications might need to be made?

Question 2.3:
How appropriate are the inclusion of health occupations and the exclusion of finance and some other mathematics-intensive occupations from a STEM education and skills plan?

Question 2.4:
To what extent can a future STEM education and skills plan adopt a demanddriven focus, given the rapidly changing skill requirements of industry?

Question 2.5:
What is the nature of the STEM skills needed by your industry/organisation/region?

Question 2.6:
How do the skills of the workers already employed in STEM-related roles by your organisation compare to the skills that might be required in the future?

Question 2.7:
For which occupations (if any) does your industry/organisation/region have difficulty in recruiting? What do you consider to be the main issues in relation to recruitment difficulties?

Question 2.8:
What strategies are needed to better retain the skills and expertise of an ageing STEM workforce?

General comments on Chapter 2:

Chapter 3 - Past and future initiatives
Question 3.1:
What are the characteristics of current and past government, education or industry initiatives that have been particularly successful in relation to STEM?

Question 3.2:
What lessons can be learned from any previous STEM education and training initiatives?

Question 3.3:
What implications will national trends (for example, moves towards nationally consistent curricula and a national science education framework) be likely to have for Queensland's future directions for STEM?

General comments on Chapter 3:

Chapter 4 - Education and training programs
Question 4.1:
What approaches can be employed to enrich primary school STEM learning experiences?

Question 4.2:
What strategies could be implemented in junior secondary schooling to promote the uptake of STEM subjects in post-compulsory years?

Question 4.3:
Should the study of science be compulsory in schools? What in your opinion are the arguments for and against making the study of science compulsory:
a) in Years 1 to 10?
b) in Years 11 and 12?

Question 4.4:
What opportunities for addressing STEM-related issues might be presented by the implementation from 2008 of the Queensland Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework and the Queensland Studies Authority review of senior syllabuses?

Question 4.5:
What examples are there of STEM subjects and fields of study that are most responsive to student interests and industry needs in a knowledge economy?

Question 4.6:
What do you identify as the essential skills/understandings/knowledge to be associated with:
a) general STEM literacy?
b) preparedness for STEM occupations?

Question 4.7:
To what extent do current school and training facilities enable and foster innovative approaches to the teaching and learning of science and technology?

Question 4.8:
What might be done to ensure that new or refurbished facilities improve the quality of students' science experiences?

Question 4.9:
What might be done to improve the effectiveness of vocational training programs in preparing students for STEM-related trades and associate professional occupations?

Question 4.10:
What evidence is there of strategies that have been effective in increasing student enrolment and success in vocational training and university courses?

Question 4.11:
What strategies are there to ensure that the nature, content and pedagogies used in university undergraduate courses are accurate and relevant and reflect the latest developments in STEM?

Question 4.12:
What could be done to increase the uptake of School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships in STEM-related areas?

General comments on Chapter 4:

Chapter 5 - Student participation and achievement
Question 5.1:
In your opinion, what strategies currently work well to improve student participation and achievement in science, mathematics and other STEM-related subjects? What evidence is there to demonstrate their effectiveness?

Question 5.2:
Female participation compared to male participation in the enabling sciences in Years 11 and 12 is generally lower. What reasons might there be for this? What strategies could be implemented to encourage higher levels of female participation in these subjects?

Question 5.3:
Given the overall significant increase in enrolments in STEM-related VET over the last five years, what strategies could be considered for enhancing the articulation from VET into university STEM courses?

Question 5.4:
What explanations are there for the comparatively low levels of female enrolments in STEM-related VET and how might this be addressed?

Question 5.5:
What reasons might there be for lower female participation in engineering and information technology courses at university? What strategies could be implemented to encourage more females to participate in these programs?

Question 5.6:
Which types of targeted interventions might assist to increase student participation and achievement in STEM-related subjects, particularly noting the generally lower levels of participation and achievement by students from the following backgrounds: Indigenous, low socioeconomic, non-English-speaking and remote locations?

Question 5.7:
What opportunities are there for enhancing retention in STEM subjects across the schooling, training and higher education sectors?

Question 5.8:
What evidence is there regarding the impact of relaxing subject prerequisites on the participation, retention and achievement of students in STEM-related university courses?

General comments on Chapter 5:

Chapter 6 - Workforce
Question 6.1:
To what extent is a high level of content knowledge a significant factor for the teaching of science in secondary schools?

Question 6.2:
What, if any, formal and specific academic qualifications should be required for the teaching of senior STEM subjects? What evidence supports the need for formal qualifications?

Question 6.3:
To what extent do current teacher pre-service programs (such as a Bachelor of Education) prepare teachers to enable graduates to be confident in teaching the mathematics, science and technology syllabuses across Years 1 to 10?

Question 6.4:
What are the particular professional development needs of specialist science, technology and mathematics teachers/trainers and how might these best be met?

Question 6.5:
How can industry and professional associations work with teachers/trainers to make the connections between STEM subjects and practical applications in industry?

Question 6.6:
What recruitment strategies could assist to attract STEM graduates and practising professionals into teaching careers?

Question 6.7:
What strategies could assist to attract specialist STEM teachers/trainers to regional or rural and remote locations?

Question 6.8:
What do you see as possible reasons for greater levels of attrition for beginning teachers in STEM?

Question 6.9:
What strategies could assist in retaining specialist STEM teachers/trainers in the workforce?

Question 6.10:
To what extent are university student contribution charges (HECS) acting as a disincentive for mathematics and science graduates to enter into a career in teaching? What other disincentives, if any, are there to attracting and retaining STEM graduates in teaching careers?

Question 6.11:
Given the VET sector's competition with industry for workforce resources, can you suggest any ways in which VET and industry might work together to ensure an adequate supply of VET trainers/teachers, particularly in relation to STEM programs?

General comments on Chapter 6:

Chapter 7 - Community engagement and profile of STEM
Question 7.1:
What strategies can be developed, or more widely applied, to promote better student and teacher understanding of STEM-related careers?

Question 7.2:
What more can be done to improve career advisory processes and information?

Question 7.3:

How can the potential of classroom teachers of science, technology and mathematics be maximised in promoting careers in STEM?

Question 7.4:
What are the characteristics of any current career-advisory initiatives that have been particularly successful in promoting the uptake of careers in STEM?

Question 7.5:
What strategies are needed to raise community awareness of the importance of STEM and in particular the perception that science is not a financially worthwhile and appealing career?

Question 7.6:
How can your industry/organisation assist in promoting a greater understanding of, and interest in, STEM-related careers?

General comments on Chapter 7:

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