3 IMPROVING SCIENCE EDUCATION AND PROMOTING SCIENCE CAREERS
Introduction
The Science Strategy recognised the need to ensure an adequate supply of students from the education system with science qualifications and training, to meet the needs of our increasingly knowledge-based economy. The Strategy commits the Executive to:
- Ensure that enough people study science to a standard which will enable the future needs of the country to be met
- Secure very high levels of achievement in science and raise basic science attainment levels overall
The Strategy contained commitments across the whole education range, from school to higher and further education, although the latter mainly focused on training for scientists in communication and generic management and business skills.
The UK Context since 2001
Sir Gareth Robert's Review: SET for success: The supply of people with science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills (Robert's Review 2002) was a comprehensive survey of the supply of science, technology, engineering and mathematical skills into the UK economy. It found that fewer students in the UK were choosing to study many science and engineering subjects, and pointed out that there would be skill shortages as a result constraining our capacity to innovate. These trends have continued and the implications have been picked up in the UK Government's Science and Innovation Investment Framework: 2004-2014. The Government has introduced a range of new commitments mostly in England but some measures especially those for postgraduates also apply in Scotland. Examples are the increase in PhD stipends from the UK Research Councils, and increased funding for postgraduate training, especially in transferable skills, helping to make postgraduates more employable.
The aim is to boost the quality of science teaching, the results at GCSE, the numbers choosing science, engineering and technology subjects in post-16 education, and the proportion of better qualified students pursuing and remaining in research and development careers. Some initiatives are also aimed at promoting diversity - for instance a UK Resource Centre for Women in Science Engineering and Technology has been established with a centre in Scotland to champion women's full participation and career progression in science, engineering, and technology.
The annual progress report on the UK Framework contained a mixed picture of the effect of these measures, but in many instances the effects are not expected to be rapid. It may be some time before useful analysis of all the measures is possible. However, the UK Research Councils will be providing a key report on the impact of those measures in the Review that were aimed at attracting the best researchers for the second report of the UK Framework. In response to concerns about the closure of some science courses in some English universities, the Higher Education Funding Council in England has recently provided additional funding to a range of bodies to help promote science as a career.
In Scotland, research pooling initiatives are helping to provide new opportunities for postgraduate and research staff in core science disciplines ( See Objective 1). And in school science, initiatives by a number of science and society providers including Careers Scotland and the Executive, working increasingly closely with the science centres, are encouraging pupils to consider science as a career option ( See Objective 4).
Progress in Scotland since 2001
Trends in Performance Indicators
The Roberts Review 2002 contained some analysis of the picture in Scotland, noting that "Scotland's proportion of the UK's science and engineering graduates is higher than its proportion of UK R&D employment (in part because of its high participation rate in higher education)", and that … "the supply of SET skills in Scotland was more buoyant than elsewhere in the UK." This suggests that the supply and demand issue is not as urgent in Scotland as in the rest of the UK.
Chart I
Entrants to Science Related Highers, 1995-96 to 2004-05
Source - Annual Statistics Reports from The Scottish Qualifications Authority
The Executive has not produced a detailed Roberts-style report on the position in Scotland, but is working with FutureSkills Scotland on developing better metrics of the supply and demand for scientists in the economy. As far as the supply side is concerned, uptake of science and technology subjects indicate that the overall position may be rather better than is sometimes portrayed. While there has been a decline between 1995-2004 in numbers of students taking science subjects at Higher level (Chart I) and an increase at Intermediate 2 level, the numbers graduating from Scottish higher education institutions with science and engineering subjects (including those domiciled elsewhere) has slightly increased to around 11,170. The proportion of Scottish entrants to science and engineering subjects at Scottish higher education institutions has risen from 43% in 1999-2000 to 46% in 2003-04. However, there needs to be caution over drawing general conclusions from the figures. The overall figures mask a marked fall in the Physical Sciences and Engineering offset by a marked rise in Biological Sciences and Information Technology (Chart J). These trends of course will affect provision and funding for particular departments in higher education institutions. The impact on related disciplines should also be considered (for instance chemical research also underpins Materials Science, Geology, Nanotechnology). The impact on the wider economy is less clear - while there is anecdotal evidence of some science skills shortages in Scotland, there is no systematically compiled evidence of this.
School Education
The Strategy and an HM Inspectorate of Education report in 1999 Improving Science Education 5-14 gave rise to a host of developments and initiatives on school science by the Scottish Executive's Education Department. Under the Improving Science Education 5-14 project, funding for science education in schools has been boosted by several tranches of additional funding to Education Authorities specifically for science education, totalling £18 million over 2002-2006. Funds have been used for a wide variety of purposes by Local Education Authorities, including up-skilling teachers, purchasing new equipment, and funding projects to aid the transition from primary to secondary science through the Small Grants for Science Scheme ( Case studies 21, 22 and 25). Schools which are being replaced or refurbished under the current major investment in improving school buildings are benefiting from up to date teaching areas and facilities for science subjects.
Chart J
Graduates and Diplomates from Scottish Higher Education Institutions, 1995-96 to 2003-04
Source : Higher Education Statistics Agency
Note:
1. Engineering and Technology includes: Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, General Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Production Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mineral Technology, Metallurgy, Ceramics and Glasses, Polymers and Textiles, Others Materials Technology, Maritime Technology, Biotechnology and Other Technologies.
2. Biological Sciences includes: Biology, Botany, Zoology, Genetics, Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Biochemistry, Psychology and Other Biological Sciences.
3. Physical Sciences includes: Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, Archaeology, Astronomy, Geology, Oceanography, Geography Studies (as a science), Environmental Science and Other Physical Sciences.
A review by HM Inspectorate of Education in 2003 Improving Achievement in Science in Primary and Secondary Schools found evidence of good progress on improving science education in schools. In the Programme for International Student Assessment 2003 survey of scientific literacy amongst 15-year-old pupils, Scotland scored well above the OECD mean and was placed in the top third of OECD countries. Scotland's performance is similar to 12 other countries taking part in the survey but behind that of Finland, Japan and Korea.
Other improvements relating to science school education include:
- A comprehensive set of teaching materials for science in the 5-14 range, made available by Learning and Teaching Scotland in November 2004;
- Additional funding for Continuing Professional Development for teachers provided to the Scottish Schools Equipment Research Centre to improve co-ordination of activity in this area ( Case study 22);
- Additional funding provided to support a range of informal education/engagement activities to complement formal science education, particularly at primary and early secondary levels ( Case study 21);
- Initial work on the review of science in the curriculum, likely to be followed early this year by debate, testing, refinement and consideration of the proposals which emerge ( Case study 23);
- Recruitment of science teachers increasing in line with the Executive's commitment to increase teacher numbers to 53,000 by 2007. (The annual teacher workforce planning exercise identifies subjects where future supply may be a priority such as maths and physics);
- Better co-ordination of Scotland's informal science education (mainly the four Science Centres) to provide better linkage to the needs of schools as a result of the Executive's Science and Society programmes (further information is provided in Objective 4);
- Continued participation in the UK Science, Engineering and Technology Network by Scotland's four SETPOINTS, funded by the Department of Trade and Industry/Office of Science and Technology. This includes their co-ordination of science education activities and resources. The Science and Engineering Ambassadors scheme is a recent highlight;
- Introduction of the Executive Enterprise in Education strategy, Determined to Succeed in 2003 which aims to help teachers deliver their subjects in an enterprising way that contextualises learning, engages young people, and better connects lessons to the world of work. Through the three key strands of enterprising teaching and learning; entrepreneurial and enterprising activities; and work-related vocational learning, Determined to Succeed aims to encourage a generation of young people who will grow into effective - and enterprising - citizens, employees and employers.
The Scottish Science Advisory Committee produced a report Why Science Education Matters in November 2003, which set out a range of recommendations to the Executive for improving science education including the need to review the science curriculum. The Executive responded to these recommendations in July 2004.
Promoting science careers
A very wide breadth of educational activity, both informal and formal, affects decision-making on careers. Progress under this objective will also be promoted by progress under Objective 4. Careers Scotland has improved the range of materials available to students to help them make their career decisions and Career Box is available nationally as a web-based resource. Some particular developments to inspire young people to consider science careers include:
- The Scottish Space School Project, supported by the Executive and Careers Scotland since 2003-04, engaging young people with NASA, including visits and distance learning;
- The Make it in Scotland initiative run by Careers Scotland since 2002 to engage children directly with manufacturing enterprises and to inspire them with the range of careers available in manufacturing industry;
- Science Matters, a new three year initiative by Careers Scotland to promote the uptake of science careers to pupils in the early, mid and late secondary school years ( Case study 24).
Better information on career destinations is also a factor affecting subject choices. The Scottish Funding Council's On track: 2004, a longitudinal survey of learner outcomes will help achieve this as well as helping universities and colleges improve their services to learners. The June 2005 results showed that science, maths and engineering learners are more likely to be in full time employment than those qualifying from any other subject group.
The Skills Committee of the Scottish Funding Council has a role to play in collecting, monitoring and evaluating the evidence on skills needs in Scotland and the supply of, and demand for, further and higher education. This includes advising on how improvements in meeting skills needs can be made through its funding, regulation and support for colleges and universities, with the caveat that it will not engage in centralised workforce planning.
Developing careers for scientists in the research base
The Science Strategy recognised the need to make science careers more attractive and to encourage scientists to communicate better the results and implications of their work. The main progress on this since 2001 has been:
- Improved funding of the research base to maintain competitiveness and to help attract and retain scientific talent (further information is provided in Objective 1);
- General improvements across the UK following the Roberts Review 2002 in attractiveness of PhD and postdoctoral positions including funding and other aspects;
- Phase Three of the Executive's review of Higher Education in 2004, and a report by the Scottish Science Advisory Committee on investing in scientific talent, published in the same year, considered the factors affecting attracting and retaining outstanding research talent. The Scottish Funding Council has recently, in partnership with a range of stakeholders, commissioned a study to review factors affecting recruitment and retention of top academic staff;
- Royal Society of Edinburgh review of their Executive-funded Research Fellowship schemes for talented academics at the early stages of their career, in order to maintain and improve attractiveness of the scheme to the best researchers, and to encourage them to remain in Scotland;
- The then Scottish Higher Education Funding Council published a report on Contract Research staff in April 2005. The evidence shows that all Scottish higher education institutions are acting to comply with legal regulations on fixed-term contract staff which come into full effect in July this year, and to prevent the less favourable treatment of contract research staff. There are encouraging signs of progress towards increasing the proportion of academic research staff on permanent contracts;
- Scottish Enterprise establishment of Talentscotland.com to help attract skilled people in life science and electronics;
- Establishment of Scottish Institute for Enterprise, funded by the Scottish Funding Council to support developing entrepreneurship skills in higher education ( Case study 19);
- Scottish Enterprise expansion of its Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellowships scheme in 2001, encouraging more scientists to develop their careers through commercialisation of their research ( Case study 19);
- Provision of modules in science communication by some higher education institutions. A number of SETPOINTs are providing training for undergraduate volunteers to enable them to participate effectively in science outreach activity. The British Association, with Executive support, is also providing professional development science communication workshops;
- • The Scottish Funding Council is currently reviewing the provision of support for research postgraduate students under its Research Postgraduate Grant to ensure that the system remains fit for purpose.
More progress needed
This is an area where sustained effort is needed on a wide range of inter-related issues. Perhaps our area of least progress has been in obtaining better assessments of the future needs of the economy for scientists, in order for us to judge whether the current downward pattern of supply in some science and technology subject areas will cause skill shortages in future and this is an area we hope to make progress on in the short to medium term. This is a difficult assessment to make, as it depends on reliable estimates of future demand. Equally, supply issues start with primary education, many years from the labour market.
The outcome of the work on the review of the science curriculum will inform the future for school science education.
On promoting science careers, there remains the issue of how far science can be promoted above other careers. Encouraging children to think about careers in science remains a key objective of science and society providers. The Executive's policy is to ensure that pupils, students and parents are provided with high quality information to enable them to make informed career choices rather than to attempt to control the uptake of particular subjects. The Executive is implementing a range of measures to help make science more appealing and to encourage young people to take up science courses, but more work remains to be done to understand the attitudes of young people towards science and science careers.
On developing science careers, the main challenge remains ensuring that talent is not wasted through poor career development. The sector continues to wrestle with how that can be reconciled with its need to retain flexibility, and a downward pressure on costs, as a result of an extremely competitive research environment.
The development of science communication skills remains rather patchy: Science Centres will have an increasing role to play here. They will be raising their profile in the dissemination of scientific knowledge through the Scottish Science Centres Network Strategy published in December 2005. (For further information see Objective 4).
Future developments too will need to address issues at the interface between the various parts of the education system, to ensure that they work in synergy and partnership.
Ongoing Commitments
Over the longer term we will:
- Build, through A Curriculum for Excellence, a continuing cycle of review of the curriculum to keep it updated, refreshed and relevant. The school science curriculum will be part of the ongoing cycle of review
- Ensure a good supply of science teachers and provide the means to keep their skills and knowledge up to date
- Ensure that the science and technology facilities in schools support the science curriculum
- Improve the evidence base in relation to supply and demand for scientists, engineers and mathematicians
- Ensure that careers information provides a complete and up-to-date picture of the opportunities available to those who study science, based on career destinations
- In conjunction with a broad range of formal and informal science providers, including our Science Centres, inspire young people to consider the achievements of science, the place of science in society and the possibility of a future science career
- Improve career development opportunities for scientists and researchers in the science base
- Ensure that publicly funded fellowship schemes remain attractive and meet current needs
In the short to medium term we will:
- Build on the initial work on the review of science in the curriculum which has begun and is likely to be continued during 2006 through debate, testing, refinement and further consideration of the proposals which emerge
- Provide funding in 2005-06 (and similar provision in future years) for an education programme in the four Science Centres and ensure that promotion of science careers is incorporated
- Support the programme of teacher Continuing Professional Development being organised by the Scottish Schools Equipment Research Centre, and the programme of Teacher Fellowships through the Royal Society of Edinburgh
- Undertake the first Scottish Survey of Achievement in science in 2007 to measure attainment in science 5-14
- Take forward with FutureSkills Scotland, a study in 2005-07 on the supply and demand for scientists, engineers and mathematicians in Scotland
- Ask Careers Scotland to ensure that careers material builds in the latest findings from destinations surveys by the Scottish Funding Council
- Utilise the unique position of our Science Centres in a much more cohesive fashion to communicate the attractiveness of a science career to an increasingly diverse audience
- Work with the Scottish Funding Council and Universities Scotland on task force activity to improve career paths for academics
- Work with the Royal Society of Edinburgh on reshaping the Executive-funded Research Fellowship scheme to ensure optimum relevance to Scottish needs