STEM Education in Australia: Focus on the “Australian Curriculum” and the Integration of Learning Areas

Abstract

STEM education is gaining increased interest in Japan. However, most Japanese research on STEM education overseas has focused on the United States and the United Kingdom, while relatively little attention has been given to Australia. In this study, we analyze the “Australian Curriculum,” developed by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) to identify unique features of STEM education in Australia. The results of our analysis revealed, the following three attributes which can be identified as key features of the STEM education curriculum in Australia. First, STEM education is positioned separately in the individual learning areas of science, technology, and mathematics. Second, engineering is incorporated into the field of technology in STEM education. Third, the degree of integration between branches of STEM can range from moderate to high when teachers follow a practical guide, the “STEM Connections Workbook.” Accordingly, we suggest that Australian STEM education offers a helpful perspective for the integration of STEM into the Japanese education system, in which science, technology, and mathematics currently exist as separate subjects.