school management
STEM the flow
STEM teacher shortage still an issue academics , industry bodies warn .
By Shaney Hudson
A shortage of maths and science teachers at a Queensland high school has exposed the growing crisis facing schools in STEM subject areas .
It has also reignited debate among academics and professional bodies about what can be done to attract and retain qualified maths and sciences teachers .
In an email from the principal to parents of The Gap School in Brisbane , students were offered before and after-school catch up classes in science and maths in response to a current shortage of suitable staff .
The email was widely reported in the media , with the Queensland Education Minister describing it as a “ hiccup ” to 7NEWS Brisbane , before conceding that attracting teachers to STEM subjects was an ongoing issue for the state .
To address the teacher shortage and attract more people to the profession , the Queensland government announced their Turn to Teaching program in October 2020 in the lead-up to the state election , pledging financial support , mentoring , and a permanent teaching position to 300 aspiring teachers . However , the initiative has yet to launch . According to Associate Professor Linda Galligan , head of the University of Southern Queensland ’ s School of Sciences , the problems behind the current teacher shortages include an ageing workforce retiring , competition from other industries
and teachers leaving the profession early in their careers .
Galligan believes there are key steps governments and education policymakers can take to address the shortage of qualified maths and science teachers – not only attracting more students into maths teaching , but also keeping them in the profession .
“ There ’ s been quite an attrition in the first five years ,” says Galligan , who has an extensive background in teaching mathematics .
“ We ’ ve spent three or four years on these pre-service teachers . That ’ s a lot of money getting them through . It ’ s worth the effort to put some extra support there for those teachers , to make sure we keep them .”
Recent data has shown that student performance in maths can be linked to teacher expertise .
An analysis by the Australian Council for Education Research of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study , published in The Conversation , revealed one in every four students in Year 8 was being taught by an “ out of field ” teacher – a qualified teacher teaching subjects they have not studied at a tertiary level as either a major or minor .
The study further revealed that students taught by qualified maths teachers performed better on exams than their peers who were not .
“ Out of field happens all the time , and it is worse in rural than metropolitan areas ,” says Galligan .
Galligan thinks it is important to acknowledge that there are out-of-field teachers ( OFF ) “ who do a great job in that year 8 space as they have the experience
Students taught by qualified maths teachers performed better on exams than their peers who were not .
to do so , but have not got formal qualifications .
“ Some level of OOF is okay , but we need to ensure in the whole school there are teachers that have deep content expertise .”
The sentiment is echoed by industry stakeholders .
A joint statement responding to a draft revision of the National Mathematics curriculum by organisations including the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers , Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance , Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia , and the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute called for a focus on skill acquisition and proficiency development for teachers .
“ It is not enough to just change the curriculum . We must ensure that there is an ongoing commitment from all stakeholders to deliver effective professional development that gives our teachers the skills to teach not just the content but the skills and competencies necessary ,” the statement said .
“ We need really good maths teachers in all schools ... showing how and where maths is important ,” Galligan added .
“ So when a kid asks ‘ why do we have to do this ?’ then the teacher has a whole series of answers , and can excite kids into mathematics .” ■ educationreview . com . au | 25