Gender and STEM: Rethinking an issue that refuses to resolve
Despite decades of research, investment and policy development, the issue of gender and STEM engagement
remains intractable. The problem of participation in STEM is deeply complex and involves multiple influences
that often constitute barriers to equitable participation in STEM. The STEM communities have had a focus on girls
in STEM in particular across these decades leading to interventions at a number of levels including curricular and
pedagogical responses, careers advice, the use of role models, special events and single sex classes. Thus far,
however, the intractability of the issue is evident in the little substantive change that has occurred.
The summit
This summit brought together national experts on this topic from across the different levels of education,
industry and government for one day with the aim of engaging critically and making progress on this longstanding
issue.
The Summit aimed to move discussion and action on the issue of gender and STEM forward through an
exploration of recent theorisations of gender to interrogate the gender and STEM issue. In doing so, the Summit
considered new perspectives that we hope will inform a shift forward in gender equitable theorising and
approaches to STEM education.
Objectives of the event
1. To explore current research, debates and frameworks in terms of gender disparities within STEM fields.
2. To examine current policies and practice to shape a way forward.
3. To explore intervention initiatives and strategies for upscaling.
In this paper we present an analysis of the presentations and discussions during the day, organised by themes.