Gender and STEM: Rethinking an issue that refuses to resolve

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