What does STEM look like?

What do we want to achieve?

The Australian Government has initiated a national focus on STEM in school education as critical in ensuring that all young Australians are equipped with the necessary STEM skills and knowledge that they will need to succeed.  The National STEM School Education Strategy  focuses on:

  • lifting foundational knowledge in STEM and related skills, which develops mathematical, scientific and technological literacy and promotes the development of 21st century skills of problem solving, critical analysis and creative thinking.
  • ensuring that learners are inspired to take on more challenging STEM subjects.

The National STEM School Education Strategy

Tasmanian Government schools are committed to the National Strategy in order to prepare our young people for the changing world of work and full participation in civic society.

Strategic goals

  • equip our learners with knowledge, skills and capabilities to enhance their futures
  • increase learner engagement, achievement and retention in STEM fields as well as improve progression to further study and careers in the respective fields
  • strengthen and optimise parental, business, further education and community partnerships to improve student learning outcomes in STEM subjects.

Objectives

  • create opportunities for the teaching of STEM through an integrated approach to science, technology, engineering and mathematics teaching and learning
  • establish STEM learning pathways K-12 which support learner progression and respond to local, national and global contexts
  • ensure learners can identify the links with their prior and current learning, make informed choices for their future and access information about STEM careers.

Our STEM Framework supports what we want to achieve and has been developed to guide STEM approaches in Tasmanian Government schools.

Next page: STEM Framework and Principles