STEM resources on demand (STEMROD) : Working with community/industry partners and pre-service teachers to develop “ready to use” resources for teachers

Connecting schools and teachers with industry and community partners is essential for improving STEM outcomes for students. To address this, two pilot 'STEM Hubs' were created for schools in Brisbane and Townsville that connected secondary STEM teachers with local industry and community partners. The collaboration afforded innovative STEM units to be conceptualised by teachers and partners, and then developed by pre- service teachers at partner universities. This study reports on the perspectives of the teachers, industry partners and pre-service teachers who collaborated with university representatives to write the units of work known as 'STEMROD' (STEM Resources on Demand). Data from student and partner interviews were used to ascertain the affordances and constraints of the STEMROD initiative. The analysis revealed three positive outcomes: firstly, the STEMROD approach can relieve teacher workload by providing an initial resource that can be modified to suit students' needs; secondly, the STEMROD were written to align with schools' priorities in the STEM area by providing opportunities for integrated STEM teaching and learning; and thirdly, the STEMROD were written to afford opportunities for pre- service teachers to practice curriculum planning as well as receive valuable feedback from teachers.