While the science outcomes of Australian students have remained broadly stable in recent years, the long-term trend shows young peoples’ achievement in this important subject is declining.
The latest PISA rankings show that Australian students’ scientific literacy scores dropped from 527 points in 2006 to 507 in 2022—a decline equivalent to being roughly ten months behind compared with earlier cohorts.
Recognising the need to lift student achievement in this area as STEM plays an increasingly important role in the Australian economy and workforce, State, Territory and Federal Governments have been spearheading new initiatives aimed at helping schools engage young people in science.
Federal funding is boosting inquiry-based teaching programs like Primary Connections, embedding STEM professionals in schools, and backing hands-on projects through National Science Week grants.
Additionally, new national science priorities and school funding agreements are tackling equity gaps, while major investments, such as Queensland’s $80m Health Sciences Academy, are creating pathways into STEM careers.
Energising students without exhausting teachers
Founded in 2012 by Dr Alan Finkel, alongside Byron Scaf and Daniel Pikler, Stile Education delivers an interactive, phenomena‑based science curriculum designed to engage secondary students through hands‑on activities, simulations, videos, and real‑world contexts—while keeping teachers front and centre with real‑time analytics and editing tools.
As Australia marks Science Week 2025, The Educator sat down with Clare Feeney, Head of Education at Stile to discuss the priorities for lifting science outcomes this year, how Stile’s Science Week pack supports teachers and students by closing critical gaps, and the longer-term strategies needed to better engage underperforming students.
“Science Week should be a moment of celebration – something that energises students without exhausting teachers,” Feeney told The Educator. “The biggest focus this year should be on giving teachers something they don’t have to build from scratch.”
Feeney said when pressure is taken off teachers, more space is created for deeper thinking, better engagement, and “classrooms that feel alive”.
“Science is complex, so if we want meaningful learning, we need to make it doable,” she said.
“For the teachers, that means ready-to-teach resources, low-prep activities and a clear sense of purpose. For students, it’s about learning science in a real-world context in a language they understand, prompting curiosity and sparking debate and conversation.”
‘We’re showing science teachers we’ve got their back’
Feeney said Stile Education’s Science Week pack for young learners fills some critical gaps for teachers and students.
“Teachers are constantly telling me they want to make Science Week a standout experience. However, in the midst of a hectic term, they say it’s too hard to find the space to plan something memorable,” she said.
“Stile’s Science Week pack bridges the gap between what schools want to do for Science Week and what they actually have time for. This pack is our way of showing our appreciation for science educators and letting them know we’ve got their back.”
Feeney said the pack includes everything from lessons, competitions and escape-room games – all curriculum-aligned and built by experts.
“More importantly, we’ve made the content just really fun for the students. With everything ready to go, teachers can deliver a Science Week experience that students will remember while protecting their time and energy.”
Looking beyond Science Week 2025, Feeney said the key to lifting all learning cohorts is representation and access.
“Every student deserves to see themselves in science and believe they belong there. That starts with making sure that their learning materials are high-quality, engaging, and built in a real-world context,” she said.
“Our Forces unit, for example, was built over 1,350 hours by a team of curriculum experts, teachers and researchers in collaboration with First Nations educators, scientists and illustrators. We were guided by cultural protocols to integrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge respectfully.”
Opening a new world of possibilities for young people
Stile recently partnered with Lunaria One to launch Plants – Lunar Edition, an interactive, curriculum-aligned unit for Year 7-10.
Lunaria One, the team behind the ALEPH Project, is a Moon mission taking off in 2026 which aims to send payloads of plant life to the Moon to learn what it takes to grow life in off-Earth environments.
Instead of just reading about science, students are engaging in ‘citizen science’ vital to a 2026 Moon mission—conducting experiments, designing seed delivery systems, and uploading data to help Lunaria One choose which seeds to send. During trials, hundreds participated, including one group that grew a 20cm carrot in simulated lunar conditions.
“In Plants – Lunar Edition, students meet a range of experts working in space science, including Lauren Fell, whose non-traditional path has led her to direct Australia’s first mission to grow plants on the Moon. It helps students see what is possible and where science can take them,” Feeney said.
“When teachers have a complete science program they can rely on, they can focus on what their students need.”