STEM news

The Department together with the Wellcome Trust commissioned a survey to investigate the attitudes and experiences of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teachers compared with their non-STEM colleagues. The survey was commissioned in response to a long-standing difficulty in recruiting and retaining sufficient mathematics and science teachers and it was hoped that this study would identify any areas for further study. The study drew on data from the final wave of the six-year DCSF Becoming a Teacher (BaT) survey which asked about subject information. The survey was seen as a good way to investigate the experiences and attitudes of "STEM" and "non-STEM" teachers in their early careers. However, since the survey was not originally designed to be representative of trainee teachers by subject specialism, the researchers suggested the results should be regarded as indicative only rather than generalisable to the whole population of trainee teachers. In total, 638 secondary and 745 primary teachers completed the survey.

Key findings from the study:

• The study indicated that around 15 percent of secondary teachers taught a science subject, 17 percent taught mathematics and 24 percent taught another STEM subject.
• Unlike secondary teachers, more primary teachers said they were currently teaching science (75 percent), mathematics (81 percent) and other "STEM" subjects (79 percent) than qualified to teach these subjects at ITT (62 percent, 68 percent and 67 percent).
• There were some secondary teachers who no longer considered themselves a specialist in the subject they studied. Of those who studied science at undergraduate or postgraduate degree level, 69 percent said they currently specialised in science and similarly, of those who studied mathematics, 70 percent currently specialised in the subject.
• Teachers who specialised in a subject that they did not previously study at degree level most commonly developed their specialism by 'self-teaching (I've picked it up as I've gone along)' and through CPD
• The most frequently identified reason for specialising in a subject that was not studied at degree level was 'personal interest in the subject'.
• Science and mathematics specialists were slightly more likely than their colleagues to currently be in a teaching post (100 percent of secondary and 98 percent of primary science and mathematics specialists compared with 94 percent and 92 percent of other subject specialists).
• Secondary teachers specialising in science or mathematics were less likely to have been involved in extra-curricular activities (both 84 percent) compared with other subject specialists (91 percent). Mathematics specialists were less likely to have taken pupils on school trips (64 percent compared with 81 percent). These differences were not apparent among primary specialists, however.
• On the whole, the career aspirations of secondary science and mathematics specialists were on a par with those specialising in other subjects. However, primary teachers who specialised in mathematics were more likely to be seeking promotion to deputy head (35 percent) or headteacher (11 percent) than their colleagues (18 percent and 4 percent of primary teachers specialising in other subjects).
• Mathematics specialists worked on average one hour less per week than both science and other subject specialists. Primary science and mathematics specialists worked on average four hours less than other subject specialists. There were no apparent differences between either primary or secondary specialists in other teaching experiences including amount of non-contact time, ratings of support received or undertaking of CPD.