STEM ON LINE MODULE: STEM MOVING ON

STEM Baseline research

Improving STEM Awareness in Schools and Colleges project

• Careers company, Babcock and Centre for Science Education are conducting surveys over 3 years in 6 ‘test bed ‘ schools• This presentation

summarises data from the first survey, 2008/09, published Jan 2010• All survey returns were

anonymous, with tailored questionnaires for each group

The SurveysWho was surveyed?

•Yrs 9,10,11•Parents and carers•Careers practitioners and STEM Teachers

•The purpose of survey was to measure the potential impact of project activities:• Development of STEM curriculum careers related resources• CPD for teachers • IAG professional support resources• An Economic Wellbeing resource• Work placements, mentors and work experience resources

STUDENTS• 3,729 respondents were

evenly spread across year groups and roughly equal in gender terms• Response rate was 71%• Students rated themselves

on:• Personal skills and capabilities• Enjoyment of subjects• Views on STEM subjects• Progression in STEM • Choices in STEM careers

Student responses

• Students view themselves as good team workers and creative.• Girls have a less positive self image than boys• Students enjoy PE, art, English and science

subjects most at school.• Enjoyment of STEM subjects varies: 32% enjoy

ICT, 26% maths, 7% engineering• Preferences fall within gender lines : • girls like food tech, art, English• boys like maths, science, ICT, engineering

What about stem?• Students more positive towards science

and maths than technology & engineering

• Technology & engineering perceived as being more suitable for boys

• Responses towards engineering included lots of ‘don’t knows’ implying a lack of information/understanding

• 50% want to continue to study science; maths the most popular and engineering the least

• Apart from Biology, more boys than girls want to continue in STEM.

• Interest in further study of STEM declines between years 9 and 11

STEM CAREERS

• Between 40% and 50% of students agree that STEM careers are highly paid, enjoyable, have prospects and need qualifications• 29% indicate that STEM careers were no different

to others and 20% think they are ‘for boys’• 15% think STEM careers are ‘easy’• 49-34% of ‘don’t knows’ implies a lack of

knowledge about STEM careers. 30% want to know more• Internet, role models, parents and teachers are

the most influential sources of IAG

Parent/carer survey

• There were 880 parent respondents, mostly mothers, evenly distributed across year groups. Response rate was 19%• 95% want their child to

stay in learning post 16• Technology perceived

as more useful than separate science subjects

.

Parents/carers & stem careers• Parents are positive about STEM careers, with

gender differences, e.g. fathers more positive about engineering than mothers.

• Virtually no parents said they would discourage their child from considering STEM careers, but most feel they need more information. Fathers are most confident in discussing STEM careers with their child

• Parents perceive the 3 most useful STEM careers activities as work experience, STEM-related activity days, and visits to STEM employers

• Few have seen anything in the media promoting STEM careers

Teacher/career professionals survey• Total of 98 responses.• 47% of respondents teach combined

science. 25% teach one of biology, chemistry, or technology. Physics is taught by 7%, 21% teach maths and 5% teach engineering.

• Most teach years 8-11. 78% teach 4 year groups or more, indicating the sustained impact a teacher can have.

• 46% had STEM related careers before teaching (but not always related to the subject they now teach)

• 42% have 11 years or more teaching experience

Teachers/careers professionals and stem

• Teachers think that ‘focussed hard workers’ are successful in STEM and those less so had ‘personal, support, or learning difficulties’

• 11% of respondents are actively involved in placing students in work experience, placements or tasters

• 49% say students explored STEM careers beyond the classroom, but mostly this was via work experience. Problem solving, Taster days and FE/HE visits were the next most mentioned

• 31% use STEM careers resources - mostly posters, websites and the Connexions service

Barriers to stem• Teachers see main barrier to

participation in STEM as the male domination of these subjects, especially in engineering and science, but not so much in technology and maths• Teachers say that the limited

exposure students get in school to the range of jobs and careers related to STEM subjects, and their subsequently poor understanding of the range of careers available are also barriers to participation in these subjects.

conclusions• Boost STEM participation by engaging more girls• Engineering needs to be a priority, especially for girls• Work experience is very influential in turning young

people on to STEM• Informing parents about STEM opportunities is very

important. • Students need more exposure to STEM careers

whilst at school• More teachers should be involved in placements and

work experience, especially those who have worked in STEM careers prior to teaching.