Understanding and modelling student STEM subject choices

Tracey-Ann Palmer, Paul Burke, Kimberley Pressick-Kilborn
Last updated on Nov 14, 2021
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Work led by Tracey-Ann Palmer has investigated how students choose their subjects for their final years of school and how this impacts choice of science. This work has included novel approaches to modelling these choices, particularly using Best-Worst Scaling to understand subject selection.

Read more about this work in our news pieces

Last updated on Oct 11, 2021 6 min read news, media
Thinking of choosing a science subject in years 11 and 12? Here’s what you need to know

Studying science helps you make sense of the world and opens the door to a wide range of careers. If you’ve decided to be a doctor or engineer then you will already know you need to do a science. But if you’re in the 45% of students who don’t know what career they’ll end up in, you may want to study a range of different subject types to keep your options open. Science could be one of them

Last updated on Oct 10, 2021 5 min read news, media
Keep your job options open and don’t ditch science when choosing next year’s school subjects

Studying chemistry can take you into many careers, from an analytical chemist to a forensic scientist and even an environmental consultant. Shutterstock/Rawpixel.com Tracey-Ann Palmer, University of Technology Sydney Thousands of Year 10 students are in the process of choosing subjects for their final years of school and half will probably choose to ditch science.

Change-Design best-worst-scaling STEM subject-choices schools HE gender
Tracey-Ann Palmer
Tracey-Ann Palmer
Lecturer

Tracey-Ann Palmer BTeach, BSc(Hons), MBA, PhD is a lecturer and researcher in initial teacher education at UTS specialising in science education and educational psychology.

Kimberley Pressick-Kilborn
Kimberley Pressick-Kilborn

Dr Kimberley Pressick-Kilborn was a Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education programs at the School of International Studies and Education, and in 2021 returned to a primary classroom teaching position.