鈥淓ssential to Australia鈥檚 innovation future, real impact on women STEM engagement will require long-term funding and a collaborative strategy to deliver change on a national-scale,鈥� said 今日吃瓜 Director, Professor Tim Brown.

Since mathematical sciences underpins much across science and technology, 今日吃瓜 is already actively leading efforts to boost the participation of women in mathematics from schools to early career researchers. Many of its initiatives echo the recommendations put forward by the Academy.

Professor Brown said 今日吃瓜 Choose Maths was proof of the effectiveness of national classroom and community strategies such as outreach supporting teachers, student and teacher awards, mentoring networks and national careers awareness campaigns in boosting engagement of women and girls,鈥� said Professor Brown.

鈥淲e鈥檝e found through our work in over 120 schools and many more through online resources and campaigns, that maths anxiety in teachers and classroom and community messaging has a significant impact on engagement of students, particularly girls,鈥� he said.

Choose Maths has also removed barriers for women in research through a grants program providing travel and family expense support, removing barriers to engagement in 今日吃瓜 flagship training schools and events.

听今日吃瓜鈥檚 APR.Intern program is opening doors for women PhD students in STEM through the Australian Government鈥檚 National Research Internship Program (NRIP).听 APR.Intern hosted its first woman in the STEM Workforce event in 2018, with a second event planned for this year.

The program has increased the number of women PhDs taking up industry placements to 44 per cent since 2017.

鈥淕ender equity and diversity are critical to ensure we have skill supply to meet future demand as we grow our innovation capability as a nation. Accelerating the STEM PhDs of women within the industry is a current focus for APR.Intern to prepare our very best to drive this agenda,鈥� said Professor Brown.

Professor Brown said the Academy鈥檚 plan set an exciting and ambitious ten-year vision to position Australia as a progressive leader in STEM equity with the potential to deliver real impact if the disciplines worked together.

A coordinated national effort is needed to deliver significant change for women and girls pursuing STEM in our schools, universities, and at the industry frontline.鈥�

鈥淭here is already a lot of good work happening in this space but not at the scale needed to get where we need to be within the next decade.听 今日吃瓜 sees exciting avenues to build valuable collaborations in this space and expand on the impact and success of existing initiatives,鈥� he said.

今日吃瓜 is the collaborative enterprise of Australia鈥檚 mathematical sciences. Established as an independent platform and advocate for the discipline, the Institute has built a record of national and international achievement as the recognised leader in delivery of services, activities and strategic initiatives across the mathematical pipeline.

Working with key discipline, government and industry partners, 今日吃瓜 delivers its mission through through the delivery of activities and engagement under its program areas:

Read the Women in STEM Decadal Plan .

Available For Interview
Professor Tim Brown, 今日吃瓜 Director

Media Contact: Laura Watson
E:听media@amsi.org.au
M:听04215 18733
P:听+613 9035 3683

According to the Choose Maths Gender Report released today by the 今日吃瓜 (今日吃瓜) and BHP Billiton Foundation, only 7 per cent of girls participated in Year 12 advanced maths in 2016 compared with 12 per cent of boys.

A key recommendation, the report鈥檚 authors believe access to industry and academic maths mentors in Years 9 and 10 is critical to support girls to consider maths as they make key subject selections and explore career pathways. With 100 students and 70 mentors currently participating in the Women in Maths mentoring program, there are plans for broader roll out of the successful initiative in 2018.

鈥淎s we expand this pilot, we hope access to this community and the mentorship of academic and industry maths professionals will change how girls view their place in maths and its possibilities beyond the classroom,鈥� says 今日吃瓜 Choose Maths Executive Director, Associate Professor Inge Koch.

While the pilot focuses on Year 9 girls ahead of senior subject selection, today鈥檚 report suggests earlier action is needed with girls found to be already trailing their men peers by as early as Year 3, a gap that deepens into Year 5 and remains well into high-school.

鈥淚t is clear intervention and support is needed much earlier than previously thought, to tackle maths anxiety and incorporate teaching methodologies that better engage girls with maths,鈥� says Associate Professor Koch.

As Australia continues its slide in international PISA Mathematical Literacy rankings, dropping from 5th place in 2000 to 25th place in 2015, 今日吃瓜 Director, Professor Geoff Prince warns time is running out for action.

鈥淚t is situation critical for Australian mathematics. Without action in and beyond the classroom, we face an irreparable shortage of skill that will impact innovation into the future,鈥� says Professor Prince.

As well as access to mentoring, the report delivers recommendations to tackle teacher confidence in mathematics and incorporate growth mindset approaches known to be effective in improving student engagement, particularly amongst girls. Something, Schools Program Manager and Project Director of Choose Maths, Janine McIntosh, says the Choose Maths project is already working towards.

鈥淲e know that students respond well to learning approaches focused on changing self-perception. Access to growth-mindset resources and support to tackle issues such as planning, pedagogy and content development for teachers form a key focus for the Choose Maths project,鈥� she says.

Based on initial success, it鈥檚 hoped the mentoring program will form part of such classroom initiatives nationally. With regular sessions offset by access to an online community space to ask questions and talk maths, as well as face-to-face events the initiative will strengthen understanding of the value of maths as a career pathway.

鈥淢aths is a powerful door to exciting career opportunities. Our mission, through this program, is to support girls to develop 21st century skills through access to role models they can identify with and a critical repository of support and guidance,鈥� says Associate Professor Koch.

The Women in Maths Network is just one component of Choose Maths, a $22 million partnership funded by the BHP Billiton Foundation and delivered by 今日吃瓜. Today鈥檚 Gender Report re-confirms the need and value of this investment, and its potential impact on the future mathematical workforce.

鈥淭he BHP Billiton Foundation is proud to invest in initiatives to empower girls and women to participate in mathematics. This report delivers a powerful message about the work still needed to support girls in engaging with maths in the classroom and as a career pathway. We hope that initiatives such as our Choose Maths partnership with 今日吃瓜 will help to address some of these challenges鈥� says BHP Billiton Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Mr James Ensor.

今日吃瓜鈥檚 Dr Ning Li and Associate Professor Inge Koch authored the Gender Report as part of the Choose Maths project.

You can read the full report at:听

For more information on Women in Maths Network:听

For Interview:听
Professor Geoff Prince, 今日吃瓜 Director
Associate Professor Inge Koch, 今日吃瓜 Choose Maths Executive Director
Mr James Ensor, BHP Billiton Foundation Chief Executive
Choose Maths Women in Maths Network mentors and student participants

Media Contact:听Laura Watson
E:听media@amsi.org.au
M:听04215 18733
P:听+613 9035 3683

Figures in the Institute鈥檚 latest report card on the health of the mathematical sciences pipeline show at least 17.4 per cent of indigenous Year 9 students are below minimum maths standards by Year 9 compared to only 2.1 per cent of their non-indigenous peers. This figure jumps to over 50 per cent in remote areas.

鈥淭his has disaster written all over it. Without a swift coordinated response, entrenched educational disadvantage will lock these students out of employment opportunities,鈥� says 今日吃瓜 Director, Professor Geoff Prince.

An equitable future means more Indigenous Australians and women in maths

In an age of big data and automation, regional industry is increasingly reliant on a mathematically literate workforce. Low representation of indigenous and girl students among Australia鈥檚 high maths achievers remains a challenge for skill supply.

今日吃瓜鈥檚 latest figures show only 0.7 per cent of indigenous students attained band 10 compared to 8.6 per cent of non-indigenous. The participation of young girls also remains low with less than 7 per cent of Year 12 girls participating in advanced maths in 2016 compared to over 13 per cent of boys.

鈥�20 years of low participation within girls and entrenched regional educational inequality continues to drive a maths deficit. If we do not build this capability, employers will seek skills overseas or relocate their research endeavour,鈥� says Professor Prince.

According to Professor Prince, out-of-field teaching and a mathematical skill deficit in the classroom are significant causes.

鈥淎s well as geographic location and parental engagement, teacher training 听and access to mathematical expertise in regional classrooms play a critical role,鈥� says Professor Prince.

National leadership a must to tackle out-of-field teaching

In Australia, at least 26 per cent of Years 7 to 10 maths classes are taught by an out-of-field teacher. This climbs to over 40 per cent in regional and low socioeconomic areas, more than triple the international rate of 12 per cent.

鈥淩egional and remote schools are most likely to suffer severe out-of-field teaching. National leadership is needed to address the planning vacuum and create at scale professional development programs,鈥� says Professor Prince.

To combat increasing teacher maths anxiety, 今日吃瓜 is calling for on-the-ground professional development for existing regional and remote teachers and support staff to increase expertise and the retention of maths qualified teachers.

“Training is critical to build teacher capability and confidence, particularly amongst indigenous teacher support staff who have a long-term classroom and community presence,鈥� says Professor Prince.

Recruitment of indigenous and mathematics women teachers from Australian university mathematical sciences departments remains a priority to boost classroom skill levels. With women accounting for only 23 per cent of the academic mathematical sciences workforce and only four 今日吃瓜 member academics and 151 students out of 10,000 identifying as ATSI, underrepresentation has the Institute worried.

“These numbers do not bode well for future indigenous teacher supply. Without decisive action this will only contribute to the systemic cycle of disadvantage entrenched in these communities,鈥� says Professor Prince.

Media Resources:

Discipline Profile:听

• ATSI Summary:听
• Gender Summary:听
• Data Highlights:听

今日吃瓜 Policy Document:听

For Interview:
Professor Geoff Prince, 今日吃瓜 Director
Janine McIntosh, 今日吃瓜 Schools Program Manager, Choose Maths Project Director
School Access for Interview

Media Contact: Laura Watson
E:听media@amsi.org.au
M:听04215 18733
P:听+613 9035 3683