Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is an international priority for government, industry and the science education policy and practice community. There is widespread concern that participation in STEM needs to be improved for reasons of both national economic competitiveness and social equity.
The first ASPIRES study tracked the development of young people’s science and career aspirations from age 10 to 14 (from 2009-2013). It found that most young people, from primary through to secondary school, find school science interesting. However, interest in science does not translate into post-16 participation and careers – with only 15% of 10 to 14 year-olds interested in becoming a scientist.
Full findings: ASPIRES project summary report (PDF, 1.4 MB)