Education is the key to children building the best life they can whatever their background, and the quality of teaching is the most significant school-based factor influencing educational outcomes. STEM Learning welcomes the government’s commitment to recruiting 6500 new specialist teachers, and to retaining and upskilling the current workforce, making a world-class education available to every child in the UK and breaking down barriers to opportunity.
More than half of all new teachers of science and maths leave within 5 years and in STEM (especially physics and computer science) there are relatively few teachers with relevant post A level qualifications. As the largest provider of STEM education and career support in the UK, supporting 30,000 teachers in the last year alone, we know that subject-specific Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is fundamental to teacher retention - increasing the likelihood of them continuing to teach by 160% with an even bigger impact among early-career teachers.
Independent research confirms that teacher CPD in STEM subjects pays for itself. Experts at Simetrica-Jacobs assessed the social value impact of STEM Learning CPD, using robust “Green Book” methodology. It found that an investment of £19 million over three years, in subject-specific CPD for science teachers, generated over £440 million in economic and social value.
The value of high-quality subject-specific teacher CPD is realised as it:
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builds confidence and competence as teachers work in different key stages, subjects and qualifications supporting personal growth and professionalism
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increases the repertoire of subject knowledge and pedagogy available to all teachers, helping them to support all young people including those with SEND. This is shown to raise attainment
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keeps teachers abreast of educational research and new technologies that increase classroom impact and efficiency
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is the prime vehicle for enacting curriculum change.
Schools are unable to access the scale of subject-specific professional development needed unless they collaborate with CPD providers. The scarcity and uneven distribution of experienced, knowledgeable teachers of STEM subjects able to provide mentorship, subject knowledge and pedagogy support to less experienced colleagues, is a challenge and capacity shortfalls are most keenly felt in areas of socioeconomic deprivation. As budgets remain tight, and workload pressures persist, expert external support for creating and implementing high-quality, evidence-based CPD is crucial to maintaining momentum.
With around half of secondary students stating that school doesn’t help them in their current or future lives, and 45% stating that they suffer from not understanding the work they do, the need for systematic and well-supported teacher CPD is a necessity for future productivity and prosperity. To hold on to the nation’s valued teachers who are essential in breaking down barriers to opportunity, they need to be equipped to make the difference they joined the profession to make.
In a nutshell, government investment in subject-specific STEM CPD pays for itself. Improved teacher retention saves on recruiting and training new teachers. Better outcomes for young people mean they earn and contribute more revenue to the Exchequer and ultimately contribute to the growth of the UK economy.
We've got a wider range of CPD than ever before - check out our primary and secondary CPD.
As part of STEM Learning’s anniversary celebrations, the #STEMgiving20 campaign has been launched to enable organisations, individuals and educators to donate, volunteer and engage - find out more.
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