Aiming Higher: Improving Science Education in Victorian Schools
Channel: The Royal Society of Victoria
Date: 2023-11-02

With the Victorian Government recently announcing free places for prospective teachers in tertiary education and training courses, it’s clear there’s a crisis in this essential profession that warrants special measures. Certainly, participation and completion rates in secondary schooling for students in science subjects have been declining for many years, along with numbers of science-trained teachers. The social malaise reported by a generation of young scholars emerging from the pandemic years certainly isn’t helping.

We can all imagine the professional pressures that come with being a teacher, and that asking a young graduate – or a mature-aged worker changing careers – to ‘step up’ is a big ask. Our science teachers must balance delivery of the Victorian Curriculum with the spontaneity and spark of student-led modes of inquiry to maintain their engagement, questioning and persistence. It’s a tough gig, particularly if stretching to teach science “out of field”, and even more so when engaging students who are experiencing any form of socioeconomic disadvantage or poor mental health.

But are we truly addressing the full picture? What do teachers need to feel supported and valued in sustaining their practice, and what do our primary and secondary students need from teachers to feel engaged and inspired by the challenges of the science curriculum? Join Professors Amanda Berry and Jan van Driel, two leaders in science pedagogical research, to explore opportunities to improve both student outcomes and the status of science teaching in Victoria. Amanda and Jan are joined by Ms Alexandra Abela, President of the Science Teachers Association of Victoria, and Dr Brendan Rigby, Director of Tech Schools and Performing Arts with the Victorian Department of Education.

A joint presentation by the Royal Society of Victoria, the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, and the Science Teachers Association of Victoria, filmed with the support of the Inspiring Victoria program.