In July 2013, the Australian Government Department of Education and Training invested $12 million over three and a half years, across five projects and 25 Universities, to “support new pre-service programmes in which faculties, schools or departments of science, mathematics and education collaborate on course design and delivery, combining content and pedagogy so that science and mathematics are taught as dynamic, forward looking and collaborative human endeavours.”
In addition to Step Up, the Enhancing the Training of Mathematics and Science Teachers (ETMST) programme funded:
- Inspiring Mathematics and Science In Teacher Education (IMSITE), led by The University of Queensland.
- It’s Part of My Life: engaging university and community to enhance science and mathematics education, led by Southern Cross University.
- Opening Real Science (ORS): authentic mathematics and science education for Australia, led by Macquarie University.
- Reconceptualising Mathematics and Science Teacher Education Programs (ReMSTEP) through collaborative partnerships between scientists and educators, led by The University of Melbourne.
These projects address different combinations of the nine ETMST programme priorities. However, all projects were required to address priorities one and three as underpinnings for their overall approach:
Priority 1 – Collaboration between faculties, schools or departments of science, mathematics and education which will produce teachers who have a contemporary and dynamic view of science that can inspire students.
Priority 3 – Curriculum arrangements that give pre-service teachers of science and mathematics a new vision of how mathematical and scientific content, thinking and pedagogy can work together.