Final Report

The Principals as STEM Leaders (PASL) project was undertaken by a consortium led by the University of Tasmania, in collaboration with the Australian Catholic University, Flinders University, Macquarie University, The University of Notre Dame Australia, The University of Queensland and The University of Sydney, as well as the presidents of the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) and the Australian Secondary Principals Association (ASPA). The team also included an external evaluation team.

The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Government. This final report does not constitute any form of professional or legal advice and should not be relied on as such.

Foreword

The Principals as STEM Leaders project: Building the Evidence Base for Improved STEM learning (PASL) commenced in 2018 and was completed by the end of 2020.

PASL was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills, and Employment (DESE), under the Inspiring all Australians in Digital Literacy and STEM – Embracing the Digital Age initiative of the National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA). PASL resources are designed to support principals' leadership of whole-of-school approaches to STEM teaching and learning. PASL professional learning resources and case studies are available on the PASL website, hosted by the Australian Secondary Principals Association (ASPA).

The project was undertaken by a consortium led by the University of Tasmania, in collaboration with the Australian Catholic University and the support of Flinders University, Macquarie University, the University of Queensland, the University of Notre Dame Australia and the University of Sydney, as well as the presidents of both the Australian Primary and Secondary Principals Associations. A Project Reference Group (RG) and evaluation team were established to provide advice and support throughout the project.

This report summarises the theoretical underpinnings of the PASL project and the approach to creating and trialling resources. The report also presents research findings that contributed to the evaluation of both the quality and effectiveness of the project. We are confident that PASL professional learning resources and case studies of exemplary STEM education leadership will support STEM education stakeholders to imagine and achieve STEM education that is exciting, engaging, and effective in promoting positive student learning outcomes.

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Professor Sharon Fraser
PASL Director
University of Tasmania

Professor Kim Beswick
PASL Director
University of New South Wales

Professor Vince Geiger
PASL Director
Australian Catholic University

July 2021

Download a copy of the PASL Final Report.

PASL Final Report FV

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Recommended citation

Fraser, S., Beswick, K., Geiger, V., Watt, H. M. G., Dennett, G., Holland-Twining, B., Page, L., & Dacosta, L. (2021). Principals as STEM Leaders: Building the evidence base for improved STEM learning. Final Report. Canberra, ACT: Department of Education, Skills and Employment. http://dx.doi.org/10.25959/100.00038498