Introduction
ARTICLES
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) education has been a key focal point in our
local educational landscape. The National STEM School Education Strategy (2016-2026) was endorsed by
Australian
education
ministers
in 2015 (Education Council,
It underscores the importance of STEM
Top FIVE
STEPS
in Championing
STEM 2015).
Innovations
education for securing Australia’s future and the nation’s economic competitiveness. Implementing STEM
education requires teachers to expand their current knowledge base and build up their understandings of
By Lynde Tan,
Nathan Berger, (Western Sydney University) and
instructional strategies, task
design,
21 st Century
learning, and curriculum design across key learning areas.
Kevin Jones, Mary Southall, Katherine Mason (Mount Saint Benedict College)
More work is needed to fully understand how local STEM teachers are interpreting the National
Curriculum and translating theory into practice. In this article, we feature our collaborative project between
Western
Sydney University and Mount Saint Benedict College
in Sydney
and highlight the top five steps
1. Set a Vision
of Learning
Introduction
we Science,
think are
important
to any school
which is interested
in advancing
STEM
learning that
innovations.
Why
STEM? It is widely
acknowledged
STEM occupations are
Technology,
Engineering,
and Mathematics
(STEM)
on the rise. Public discourse has been promoting the importance
education has been a key focal point in our local educational
of equipping our students with 21st Century skills to secure their
Education Strategy
social futures and economic gains for Australia. At Mount Saint
(2016-2026) was endorsed by Australian education Ministers in
Benedict College,
also rise.
ask ourselves
“How do our has
students
Why
It Council,
is widely
acknowledged
that
STEM occupations
are on we the
Public discourse
been
2015 STEM?
(Education
2015).
It underscores the
importance
benefit st from STEM?” We see STEM as a driver for gearing our
of STEM education
for securing of
Australia’s
future and
nation’s with
promoting
the importance
equipping
our the
students
21 Century skills to secure their social futures
students towards 21st Century skills.
economic competitiveness. Implementing STEM education
and
economic gains for Australia. At Mount Saint Benedict
College, we also ask ourselves “How do our
requires teachers to expand their current knowledge base and
We have designed a range of critical STEM programs across
build up benefit
their understanding
of instructional
strategies,
students
from STEM?”
We see STEM
as task
a driver
for gearing
our
students
21st activities,
Century we
various
year levels
(see
Table 1). towards
Through these
design, 21st Century learning, and curriculum design across
create an environment for our students to develop themselves as
skills.
confident and creative problem solvers. They learn to collaborate,
key learning areas. More work is needed to fully understand how
take risks in their decision-making, and appreciate the necessity
local
STEM
teachers a are
interpreting
the National
We
have
designed
range
of critical
STEM Curriculum
programs across
various year levels (see Table 1). Through
for resilience in authentic and engaging learning experiences.
and translating theory into practice. In this article, we feature our
1. landscape.
Set a Vision
of Learning
The National
STEM School
these
activities,
we between
create an
environment
for our and
students to develop themselves as confident and creative
collaborative
project
Western
Sydney University
Mount Saint
Benedict
College
in Sydney,
and highlight
the risks
top in their decision making and appreciate the necessity
problem
solvers.
They
learn
to collaborate,
take
steps we think are important to any school which is interested
for five
resilience
in authentic and engaging learning experiences.
in advancing STEM learning innovations.
Table 1: Continuum of STEM Experiences
Table 1: Continuum of STEM Experiences
1
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SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 68 NO 1