Girls with science and maths ability need cultivating says QUT

Queensland University of Technology has a new STEM support program for schoolgirls who show aptitude.

Associate Professor Paige Little and Mabel Park State High School’s Hannah Kaihau at work on a device to use a smartphone to measure scoliosis in children.

Hannah Kaihau has a flair for maths and science. Does it come naturally? “Pretty much,” says the year 10 student at Logan City’s Mabel Park State High School, south of Brisbane.

“I’m interested in the biomedical field. I have a deep interest in biology and I wish to pursue a ­career in that field.”

The 16-year-old was already part of the school’s Girls Excelling in Maths and Science (GEMS) program. So she was an ideal candidate for a new Queensland University of Technology science, technology, engineering and mathematics immersion program which teams eight science academics one-on-one with eight capable students to work on projects they hope will broaden and deepen their interest.

The year 9 and 10 students attend QUT one day per fortnight for one school semester. The emphasis is on real-world problems.

“My project is to create a 3D print of a scoliometer fit for some iPhones and Samsung smartphones,” Ms Kaihau says. “It’s used to identify the spinal angles in children with deformities.

“There’s a shortage of scoliometers so if doctors want to use one quickly, sometimes it’s unavailable. So we’re creating this. And it’s a cheaper alternative.”

Hannah’s mentor is the STEM Immersion Program creator, spine research principal fellow and associate professor Paige Little. Dr Little had run similar schemes in more privileged schools, and was determined this would be different.

“I really wanted to focus the program at a demographic who might have unique barriers and systemic challenges to taking on a career or interest in STEM,” she says.

“I’ve been involved in programs with high-performing secondary schools where, while they were wonderful students, it was not going to change their career path necessarily. They already had a great opportunity ahead of them. So I really wanted to interface with kids who maybe didn’t.”

Mabel Park fitted the bill, with a diverse population including refugees, Polynesians, African and Indigenous students – 71 cultures are represented.

Dr Little’s other principal ­motivation was to do something to help improve the gender ­disparity in the STEM fields.

“It really came from a recognition of the lack of gender equity that we see in our STEM studies,” she says. “I’m a mechanical engineer, and so certainly within engineering, there’s a notable lack of gender equity and a recognition that if we want to have female academics and engineers in those disciplines, we need to get them into our undergraduate system.

“We need to really inspire them when they’re still at school, at a time in their academic development where they might be interested in science and maths and they are making some decisions about which way they go.”

Showing them some role models was important, she says – “to show them a whole lot of women and say ‘we’re academics and sure it’s tough, but if you love it, do it’.” Dr Little says it is crucial to maintain continuity in the program, ideally for all the girls to finish off their current project at year’s end and begin a new one, with a different mentor, in the new year. Although in its first iteration the program is catering for eight girls, Dr Little wants to expand it, and eventually for the template to be transferable other schools and scalable, to reach more students.

Ms Kaihau, one of 10 siblings, hopes to be the first in her family to attend university, preferably QUT. The mentoring experience has been positive.

“I love the program,” she says. “When I first started, it was something different. I’ve never coded in my life, so I’ve been able to develop new skills. I think our school is going to get a 3D printer in the future, so I’m excited to test that out.”