Participation in science, mathematics and technology in Australian education

This report was commissioned to update and extend the Background Data and Analysis component of the report, Australia’s Teachers: Australia’s Future – Advancing Innovation, Science, Technology and Mathematics (Committee for the Review of Teaching and Teacher Education, 2003a) that informed the Main Report (Committee for the Review of Teaching and Teacher Education, 2003b). In the five years since the 2003 review, there have been developments in science, technology and mathematics education that have been impacted on by initiatives in policy and practice as well by changes in the context. So that changes in science, technology and mathematics education can be properly measured the measures of participation that are used in this report parallel those that were used in the 2003 report wherever that is possible. In brief this report provides updated figures on: the performance of Australian school students in science and mathematics; participation in science, mathematics, and technology in the final year of secondary school; university participation in science and technology studies; and teachers, teaching and teacher education in science, technology and mathematics.