How we can work harder to engage girls with science

Today we mark the 10th International Day of Women and Girls in Science. In August, Australia will celebrate National Science Week, looking back at the great contributions of our scientists to ‘Decoding the universe – Exploring the unknown with nature’s hidden language’.

The contribution of Australian women in the sciences this last decade, particularly quantum mechanics and mathematics, has been phenomenal. From former chief scientist Dr Cathy Foley’s work in superconductivity, to Australian of the Year Professor Michelle Simmons’ groundbreaking work in developing the quantum computer, Australian female scientists have been leading the way in quantum science.

Despite this work, concern about the number of female students choosing to study and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has persisted.

Enrolment and achievement in STEM at school

Overall, we have seen modest improvements in STEM enrolments. Over the 9 years between 2013 and 2022, the percentage of female students enrolled in year 12 STEM subjects rose from 45% to 47%. 

Despite this, girls are still under-represented in Year 12 physics and astronomy, making up just 24% of the students enrolled in 2022. Similar trends are seen in information technology (26%) and engineering and related technologies (24%).

Data from the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) indicates significant improvements since 2019 for Australian students in year 4 science and mathematics performance, while year 8 students’ achievement held steady.

However, girls’ performance at year 8 declined over this period. It’s important to note this, because this stage of schooling is a pivotal time for choosing subjects for students’ senior years, and ultimately, pursuing STEM careers.

Barriers and enablers

Confidence could be a factor in girls' engagement in secondary science and other STEM subjects. ACER has been working with CSIRO to investigate the enablers and barriers to girls' participation in digital technologies education, which has highlighted the importance of the following factors:

• Visible and relatable role models: ensuring students can see female role models who resonate and showcase career pathways, can increase female students’ engagement.

• Real-world examples: incorporating real-world examples into classroom resources and texts can make the subject more relevant for students.
• Getting parents and guardians onboard: positive encouragement from parents in the use and application of digital technology can positively influence students' attitudes. If parents are unsure about how to do this or have concerns about cybersafety, providing them with resources to support the way they encourage their child in the home is critical.
• Allowing for agency and including group work: opportunities for students to work in groups and have agency over the topics selected in classwork can increase students’ engagement.

ACER works to improve the STEM confidence of students, particularly girls, throughout the different stages of education – from our Science in the Early Years resources to our Mathematics Anxiety and Engagement Strategy (MAES).

ACER’s work in MAES has centred on removing key barriers to students’ engagement with mathematics, particularly mathematics anxiety, through the development of resources and curriculum for use in schools and in teacher education. The most recent examples of this work include the co-design of resources with the Victorian Academy for Teaching and Learning and our updated MAES Framework.

Additionally, both the Australian STEM Video Game Challenge and the International Mathematical Modeling Challenge (IM2C)  engage students in collaborations that bring the relevance of STEM into their lives throughout their school years.

This last decade has given us new female role models in the sciences, unearthing knowledge of how the world works on the atomic level. We hope that these groundbreaking achievements will encourage more female students to enrol in senior science subjects, and pursue a career in STEM.