Despite the challenges, Professor Maria Parappilly was just getting started with her innovative new program. It aims to inspire Year 9 schoolgirls to continue their studies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects. Since its launch in late 2018, this pilot initiative has already touched more than 1,900 students. It seeks to excite them enough to study things such as Specialist Math and Physics in their final years. The program enjoyed a remarkably bipartisan run of support. It recently received two successive Australian Government grants, first from the Department of Industry Science and Resources and then from the Department of Education.
The program incorporates three unique STEM enrichment models: Real Science Day, Design and Technology workshops, and a STEM Enrichment Conference. Together, each element ignites students’ passion for hands-on learning opportunities. Yet they play an important role in fostering a lifelong passion for STEM careers. Just in 2023, 371 girls from the Northern Territory and regional South Australia have engaged so far with the program.
A Focus on Practical Learning
Our Real Science Day is a fun, interactive experience that gives students the opportunity to explore scientific concepts through hands-on activities. As you can see, this approach has proven highly effective. A qualitative case study with 46 participants from the 2019 Flinders University STEM enrichment program found that 91% of the girls took common STEM subjects in senior secondary years.
Design and Technology workshops complement this by providing practical skills and knowledge that are essential for various engineering and technology disciplines. These workshops are intentionally structured to increase participants’ competence and confidence.
Their annual STEM Enrichment Conference is a wonderful opportunity for students to meet one-on-one with industry professionals. By seeing how STEM is applied every day through so many different avenues, their scope of career opportunities is expanded. It further develops their desire to seek higher education in areas such as engineering, astrophysics and biomedicine.
Addressing Gender Disparities
Professor Parappilly argues that the current gender divide in STEM subjects must be addressed in Australia.
“Unlike some overseas countries, the gender divide in some STEM subjects is expanding in Australia.” – Professor Maria Parappilly
This specific fear points towards a more sinister pattern. Enrollments in Year 11 and Year 12 physics are decreasing for both males and females, across nearly every state.
“In fact, Year 11 and Year 12 physics enrollments have declined for both girls and boys in most states.” – Professor Maria Parappilly
The program seeks to do the opposite and actively combat these trends. It provides highly focused programs and educational experiences to help achieve gender equity in the STEM talent pipeline. The initiative makes a deliberate effort to create a space where young women feel empowered and appreciated. This support is intended to increase the overall presence of women in these high-demand, broadly consequential fields.
Building Confidence and Interest in STEM
Studies show that girls encounter many obstacles to participating in STEM fields. As the corresponding author, Professor Parappilly draws attention to an alarming trend in the literature. It shows that girls are more likely to feel disengaged, less confident, and value science less than boys.
“Current literature suggests that compared to boys, girls seem less interested in science, attach less importance to science, and feel less confident of their science capabilities.” – Professor Maria Parappilly
The program addresses these concerns at the core. It builds an essential confidence through role-model interventions, and it creates a deep sense of belonging to which participants powerfully respond.
“But we can tackle these perceptions if we can give middle school students more confidence through role-model interventions, a sense of belonging, enjoyment for the subject, opportunities in STEM, and the vision for a future in STEM from a younger age.” – Professor Maria Parappilly
Early signs point to the program improving teachers’ confidence in teaching engaging, hands-on approaches to physics, as well.
“Early indications show that the program is effectively boosting teachers’ confidence in delivering physics through hands-on methods.” – Professor Maria Parappilly