- Title
- Shaping science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum in Australian schools: An ecological systems analysis
- Creator
- Falloon, Garry; Powling, Markus; Fraser, Sharon; Hatisaru, Vesife
- Date
- 2022
- Type
- Text; Journal article
- Identifier
- http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/199342
- Identifier
- vital:19179
- Identifier
-
https://doi.org/10.1177/00049441221083347
- Identifier
- ISSN:0004-9441
- Abstract
- Improving young people's engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is being promoted worldwide as a means of addressing projected shortfalls in expertise needed to further nations' economic, social and environmental goals. Responding to this, schools are reforming traditional discipline-based curricula into interdisciplinary approaches based on problem and project-based designs, to make STEM learning more relevant and meaningful for students. This study drew on a dataset of 449 Australian principal and teacher interviews, to identify factors influencing STEM curriculum in their schools. It utilised Ecological Systems Theory to build understanding relating to the influence of activities and outputs originating at macro, exo and meso system levels, on STEM curriculum and practices in classrooms. Results demonstrated how many innovative schools were able to successfully leverage community, business and national resources to enhance their STEM curriculum, while others struggled due to limitations imposed by geographic or socio-economic factors, or limited access to resources, expertise or advice. Central to achieving this was the powerful influence of principals' and teachers' 'proximal processes and developmental assets' in establishing effective and engaging interdisciplinary STEM curricula, despite constraints imposed by, at best, ambiguous national and state curriculum and policies, rigid assessment regimes and compliance-focused reporting requirements.
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Relation
- The Australian journal of education Vol. 66, no. 2 (2022), p. 171-195
- Rights
- All metadata describing materials held in, or linked to, the repository is freely available under a CC0 licence
- Rights
- Copyright ACER
- Subject
- Learning; Teachers; Methodology; Education; Practice; Curricula; Educational leadership; Training of; Teaching; Elementary school teachers; Foreign countries; High school teachers; Curriculum planning; Educational change; Economic indicators; Mathematics; Classrooms; System theory; Engineering; System analysis; Schools; 39 Education
- Reviewed
- Funder
- This study was part of the larger professional learning, curriculum development and research project, Principals as STEM Leaders (PASL), funded by the Australian Department of Education, Skills and Employment (project: ED17/045432).
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