Transcript Slide 1

Accessing STEM careers
What impact can linking STEM subjects
to careers have for student
progression?
What research exists?
How can the links be made?
Accessing STEM careers
Is there a problem?
What do we know?
What works?
Next steps...
STEM careers IAG:
Is there a problem?
What do we know?
Trends in International Mathematics
and Science Study 2007
• 1999 to 2007: Proportion of 15 year-olds in England
with a high positive attitude has dropped from 76%
to 55% in science, and from 65% to 40% in maths
• ‘Pupils are doing well in science (and maths) but with
relatively low levels of enjoyment.’
Horizontal axis: Human Development Index
Vertical axis: Questions measure of positive attitudes towards studying science
Svein Sjoberg, University of Oslo, Project ROSE
Programme for International Student
Assessment 2006
• UK performance is significantly above the OECD
average
• 7 countries (including Japan) performed significantly
higher than England
• 13 countries (including Germany) are not
significantly different from England
• 36 countries (including France and USA) performed
significantly worse than England
Wellcome Monitor 2010
• 1179 adults and 374 young people (age 14-18)
• In respondents homes, 45 minutes, random stratified
sampling approach
• YP interested and engaged with school science
• Quality of teaching and opportunity to conduct
practical activities are shown to be crucial to
enjoyment of and motivation to learn science
• Challenges assumption that interest in science
decreases between 1y and 2y phases (limited data)
Well-informed, regular and from
an early age
• 13 year olds were asked whether they expected to
enter a science based career by the age of 30
• Those who said they expected to enter such a career
turned out to be 3.4 times more likely to earn a
physical science or engineering degree than those
who did not expect such a career.
Tai et al, Science May 2006
Science and Maths: See where they
can take you (DCSF 2009/10)
• Students Y9-11 – waverers and non-rejectors of STEM
subjects
• All predicted B or above in these subjects
• Discussion groups for parents and teachers (separate)
• Manchester and London, rural to suburban
The STEM subjects are felt to be challenging options:
• Difficult to learn and master
• Teaching styles can be off putting
• Less opportunity for adolescent self expression, self exploration and
freedom
However, they are also subjects with many merits – most significantly:
• They allow students to learn more about themselves, the world and the
way it works
• They can open doors for the future
STEM subjects are very different:
• Not all experienced similarly by all students
• Indeed, many of the individual subjects themselves can be experienced
erratically depending on their different subject areas
Life-stage also dictates level and type of engagement with STEM subjects
Where do they go for advice?
Connexions
Parents
Career focused - perceived as
unknowledgeable, uninspiring
Personalized support, but lack
knowledge and impartiality
Influencers
Students balance information from
all these sources, however an elder sibling /
peer can trump as key influencer – impartial, knowledgeable, trusted, accessible
Schools
Open days etc…
Provide one off aid versus
consistent support
Teachers
Trusted authority but not
catering for all students and
adopt a hands off approach
• Recommendation 3: The Careers Profession Alliance should develop
common professional standards and a common code of ethics for careers
professionals, and that all organisations represented in the Alliance should
expect their members to adhere to these standards.
• Recommendation 7: Initial training and CPD should include a focus on
labour market information (LMI), information and communications
technology (ICT), and science, technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM), all of which are crucial to all members of the careers profession in
delivering high-quality career guidance; and that, through CPD, there
should be opportunities for further development of ‘specialisms’, leading
towards the concept of an Advanced Careers Practitioner.
• Recommendation 11: Any organisation that is making arrangements for the
provision of career guidance to young people should ensure that the
provider meets a relevant, nationally approved quality standard, and that
Government should support the establishment of such a standard.
Careers Profession Task Force
• Reported to DfE 18 October 2010
• Chaired by Dame Ruth Silver
• Remit: To set out our vision for a transformed careers
workforce in England which can offer young people
the excellent careers service they deserve and expect.
What works?
Timeline project
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A research approach to embedding STEM
28 pilot schools across English regions
Mentor support for pilot schools
School self-review and action planning for STEM
Pupil attitude surveys (before and after)
Funded through the STEM Programme (2008-2011)
Centre for Education and Industry (CEI) at the University of Warwick
International Centre for Guidance Studies (iCeGS) at the University of Derby
Isinglass Consultancy
What is a ‘timeline’?
A planned series of activities and experiences,
delivered across a specified age range, which
can show a link between STEM subjects and
the knowledge, skills and attitudes relevant
for work, life and careers
Self-review findings - opportunities
• Most schools find they do more STEM ‘career-relevant’
activities than they previously recognised
• Some schools have appointed a STEM co-ordinator
• Some schools have set up ‘STEM groups’, including
careers staff
• Use of enhancement and enrichment activities is
widespread - rich in opportunities for STEM careers
• Schools are keen to develop more work with external
partners
Findings - challenges
• Separation of STEM subjects in the curriculum
• Nobody ‘owns’ STEM – need for leadership
commitment (school SLT supporting subject
leaders)
• Most schools have no strategy for teaching about
engineering
• Careers IAG disconnected from STEM curriculum
• STEM teachers not equipped to support learning
about careers - lack of CPD in this area
Output - strategic planning tools
• Support for creating an environment in which
teaching and learning about STEM and STEM
careers can flourish (What needs to be in place?)
• Providing a planning process that will engage key
staff, and help build a picture of how STEM and
STEM careers fits into the life and work of the
school (a timeline)
• First phase secondaries; hope to work with LSIS
Post-16 STEM Programme for FE
What needs to be in place?
• Leadership commitment and vision
• Appropriate curriculum
• Appropriate use of STEM enhancement and
enrichment
• Appropriately trained teachers and other staff
(workforce)
• Appropriate use of buildings and physical
resources (infrastructure)
• Rich, varied and appropriate engagement of
external partners
• Strong careers IAG provision
Footnotes ...
• BIS Skills for Sustainable Growth (November 2010):
“We are currently weak in the vital intermediate technical skills that
are increasingly important as jobs become more highly skilled and
technological change accelerates.”
• Around 58 per cent of net new jobs predicted to appear in the
economy between 2007 and 2017 will require employees with
STEM skills, equal to 29 per cent of total new and replacement
jobs (UK Commission for Employment and Skills 2010)
• For Technology and Science: continued emphasis for minimum
Level 3, need for wider routes to Level 3 / 4 qualifications
[email protected]
Economic argument
• In 2008 UK engineering business turnover was
£799 billion pounds per year
• The UK is the world’s sixth largest
manufacturer, generating £150 billion for the
economy, 55% of all exports, and employing
three million people
Engineering UK 2009/10 Report
£m
Gross value added by industry (2007)
450000
400000
350000
300000
250000
200000
150000
100000
50000
0
The Blue Book 2009, National Office for Statistics
Employment (2008)
12000
10000
8000
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4000
2000
Jobs (thousands)
0
The Blue Book 2009, National Office for Statistics