Evolution of evaluation in a STEM widening participation program

Since 2010, the QUT Science and Engineering Faculty’s widening participation (SEF WP) program has engaged with around 80,000 students from low-income schools to build aspiration for tertiary studies and careers in science,... [ view full abstract ]

Since 2010, the QUT Science and Engineering Faculty’s widening participation (SEF WP) program has engaged with around 80,000 students from low-income schools to build aspiration for tertiary studies and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas. The SEF WP program includes in-school, curriculum-aligned, hands-on workshops through the flagship Extreme Science Van, taster activities for Explore Uni on-campus days, careers sessions through STEM Futures, and specialised STEM events held at QUT’s Caboolture campus. The program uses undergraduate and postgraduate STEM student ambassadors to present activities and to be role models for students who would be first in family to attend university. Evaluation of the program has been a work in progress and has evolved from the early days of teacher feedback on quality of van workshops on offer, to measures of attitudinal shift towards STEM studies and careers in students attending STEM Futures and specialised STEM events, through to more recently the assessment of impact on STEM student ambassador graduate capabilities and employability. This presentation will provide an overview of the evolution of evaluation of the program and give insights into analysis of the data from these evaluation tools received to date. The presentation will also discuss the challenges of measuring success of the program in conversion rates from school to university in students from target schools.