The Australian Curriculum values diversity by providing for multiple means of representation, action, expression and engagement. It allows schools the flexibility to respond to the diversity of learners within their community.
All schools have a responsibility when implementing the Australian Curriculum to ensure that students’ learning is inclusive, and relevant to their experiences, abilities and talents.
For some students with diverse languages, cultures, abilities and talents, it may be necessary to provide a range of curriculum adjustments so they can access age-equivalent content in the Australian Curriculum and participate in learning on the same basis as their peers.
See the Australian Curriculum student diversity page for more information.
The experience of science enables students to develop greater understanding of the world around them, and to develop a range of transferrable skills. The Australian Curriculum: Science is in a strong position to address the abilities of all students. It is also recognised that some students may need adjustments to support how they see, hear, communicate, make meaning and access science content.
Adjustments to the delivery of Science could involve actions such as:
- providing multisensory visual, auditory, tactile, kinaesthetic and/or multimodal learning experiences and resources
- offering alternatives to making observations and representing understanding, including through diagrams, physical models, role-play and digital tools
- demonstrating safe use of equipment and providing safety instructions in written, verbal or pictorial forms
- demonstrating steps in an investigation before the activity
- supplying a range of labelled equipment for use during investigations
- creating a "personal science dictionary" that includes the scientific term, the pronunciation, a picture and the term in the student’s first language
- making student thinking explicit, encouraging students to cite evidence or explain the logic they used in drawing conclusions.
Depending on the ability and interests of each student, adjustments to the tools, equipment, processes, materials, systems and components used in Technologies may be necessary to provide equitable opportunities for students or to provide a safer learning experience.
The broad content and having high expectations for all learners allows for the creation of solutions through many modalities, with appropriate adjustment. Assistive technologies and augmentative and alternative communication devices should be made available as and where appropriate.
Adjustments to the delivery of Technologies could involve actions such as:
- providing innovation opportunities and scaffolding of resources, such as inquiry-based design portfolios, for students to access and engage in learning at their own pace as a review or extension activity
- acknowledging the assistive technology continuum of no tech, low tech, mid tech or high tech when planning learning experiences
- designing open-ended tasks that provide flexibility and can be completed at different levels of complexity
- selecting Technologies content in keeping with the goals of the student, including adjusting the types of materials, equipment and digital tools used, and considering safety.
Mathematics responds to the diversity of students in the mathematics classroom by connecting familiar experiences and objects in students’ lives. Familiar objects and situations add meaning to any mathematics exploration and help all students understand and use what they have learnt. Responding to student diversity also provides opportunities to deepen students’ understanding of mathematics and its applications.
Strategies that could support the diverse needs of students in mathematics include providing:
- exposure to mathematical tasks to engage students’ intellect and interest
- classroom discourse that promotes the investigation and growth of mathematical ideas
- technology and other tools to access and pursue mathematical investigations and other problem-solving tasks
- experience with mathematical concepts using multisensory methods to stimulate thinking skills
- access to familiar objects to represent and solve mathematical problems. Coins, blocks, counters, buttons or other small objects can be used to demonstrate concepts such as greater than, less than and equal to, counting, adding, subtracting, sharing, grouping and fractions
- scaffolded procedures and processes that use step-by-step instruction, demonstrating how to solve mathematical problems.
Identifying and managing risk in STEM learning areas addresses the safe use of technologies (tools, equipment, processes, materials, systems and components) as well as risks that can affect project timelines. It covers all necessary aspects of health, safety and injury prevention, and the use of potentially dangerous materials, tools and equipment. It includes ergonomics, online safety, and ethical and legal considerations when communicating and collaborating online.
STEM learning experiences may involve the use of potentially hazardous substances and hazardous equipment. It is the responsibility of the school to ensure that duty of care is exercised in relation to the health and safety of all students and that school practices meet the requirements of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 in addition to relevant state or territory health and safety guidelines.
The Australian Science Teachers Association’s Science ASSIST is a useful resource. However, it is up to the teacher and/or their laboratory technician to consider and manage the risks associated with doing science in the classroom.
In implementing projects with a focus on food, care also must be taken with regard to food safety and specific food allergies that may result in anaphylactic reactions. The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy has published guidelines for prevention of anaphylaxis in schools, preschools and childcare. Some states and territories have their own specific guidelines that should be followed.
When planning to incorporate immersive technologies – augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality or extended reality – in learning experiences, teachers should consider the manufacturer’s guidelines. They should also consider the physical, cognitive, linguistic, emotional, social and moral developmental stage of learners. See the eSafety Commissioner’s explicit advice on the risks of immersive technologies use in its position statement.
The use of drones (remotely piloted aircraft) or model aircraft for educational purposes at education institutions is considered "flying for fun" under Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) guidelines. However, teachers should also consider their education jurisdiction’s governance standards. CASA’s Drones for education webpage lists requirements and tips for teachers and educators on issues such as health, safety and privacy for any drone operation. State and territory school education authorities can give further and more detailed advice on drones in schools.
Increasingly, STEM includes the use of digital tools, data and digital systems. Identifying and managing the implications of collecting and generating data through automated and non-automated processes addresses the risks that can affect secure engagement with digital systems.
Privacy includes recognising the risks that are faced online and the mitigation strategies involved in managing them. In Australia, guidance on best practice for privacy is informed by the Australian Privacy Principles, the cornerstone of the privacy protection framework in the Privacy Act 1988.
Security covers the development of appropriate technical, social, cognitive, communicative and decision-making skills to address online and network security risks. It includes data security, and ethical and legal considerations when working with and designing digital systems. When engaging with and designing digital systems, identifying and managing security threats and mitigation in a data-intensive world is paramount.
In Australia, guidance on best practice for cyber security is informed by the cyber security principles. These principles provide strategic guidance on how individuals and organisations can protect their systems and data from cyber threats.
The Safer Technologies 4 Schools initiative is a standardised approach to evaluating digital products and services. It is used by schools across Australia and New Zealand against a nationally consistent security and privacy control framework.
Copyright
Identifying and managing the implications of copyright and intellectual property in the STEM learning areas addresses the ethical and legal responsibilities around ownership and repurposing of designs and digital content. It covers all necessary aspects of plagiarism, copyright, fair dealing and licensing, and the respect of intellectual property rights.
In Australia, copyright law is contained in the Copyright Act 1968. For more copyright information and resources see:
Intellectual property
Intellectual property laws include protection for registered designs, products and plant varieties. They should be respected when students are designing solutions (including digital systems and repurposing computer code) and using secondary data.
For more information and resources, visit IP Australia:
See Smartcopying for more information and relevant contact details.
For more information about relevant guidelines for safety, cyber security, copyright and intellectual property, teachers should contact their state or territory education authority.
Protocols for Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) rights
In bringing First Nations Australian Peoples’ knowledges into the curriculum, ACARA respects ICIP rights. ACARA recognises that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) enshrines the rights of First Peoples to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, as well as the intellectual property over their heritage, knowledge and expressions. For further advice see:
National Copyright Unit Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights.
There are opportunities in Technologies for students to apply Safety by Design principles and universal design principles when designing solutions.
Safety by Design focuses on the ways designers of digital solutions can minimise online threats by anticipating, detecting and eliminating online harms before they occur. This proactive and preventive approach focuses on embedding safety into the culture of the design process. It emphasises accountability and aims to foster more positive, civil and rewarding online experiences for everyone.
For more information, See the Safety by Design Vision for Young People, available at the eSafety Commissioner (eSafety) website.
The eSafety Commissioner also provides specific advice for educators via its Toolkit for Schools resources.
The 7 Principles of Universal Design were developed to guide the design of environments, products and communications. The universal design principles provide an opportunity to create solutions that respond to people’s changing circumstances and to changes in technologies. When students apply the principles, they create products that change and adapt for everyone.
In Technologies, the 7 principles may be applied to evaluate existing designed and digital solutions. They guide students through the design process and highlight the characteristics that make products, services and environments more accessible and usable by consumers.
Planning for STEM learning
Select from the following section buttons for more information and resources to support a deeper understanding of STEM in the Australian Curriculum, STEM unit or whole school curriculum planning.