House of Lords Science and Technology Sub-Committee I

Call for evidence: Higher Education in STEM Subjects

Response from the Higher Education Academy, 15 December 2011

Author – Janet De Wilde, Head of STEM cluster,

Contact – Ceredig Jamieson-Ball, Policy Officer,

Background

  1. The Higher Education Academy (HEA) is a UK-wide organisation owned by Universities UK and GuildHE which supports the higher education sector in providing the best possible learning experience for all students. Guided by the sector, we have prioritised four areas of activity where we believe we can make the biggest impact, and best realise our mission to improve opportunities and outcomes for all students:

Helping to improve the quality of learning and teaching practice by providing a structured framework and resources to underpin professional development and by supporting a vibrant and professional learning culture across the sector;

Supporting leaders and managers to develop an organisational culture and infrastructure within which student and staff learning can thrive, and in which change is managed confidently and creatively;

Responding quickly and intelligently to the most urgent and significant strategic issues and contemporary challenges that the sector is facing, supporting the sector to react wisely and decisively during times of unprecedented change and acting as a national voice to positively influence change;

Underpinning all of the above with high quality and rigorous research and evidence and applying this insight to enhance policy and practice.

  1. STEM INTRO

The HEA has recently undergone an organisational restructure. There is now a dedicated STEM team which look after promoting learning and teaching development in STEM subjects. The group is headed by Dr Janet De Wilde, and includes eight discipline leads, an academic lead and five academic development officers. They all have STEM backgrounds and are experts in their disciplines and have contributed to this response.

General questions

  • What is the definition of a STEM subject, and a STEM job?
  1. There has been a long-standing understanding that STEM incorporates mathematics, statistics, the traditional sciences such as physics, chemistry and biology, alongside technology-based subjects such as computer science and engineering. The HEA adopts a broader definition of STEM subjects covering eight broad areas in its STEM team. These include 1) Mathematics, Statistics and Operational Research 2) Physical Sciences 3) Engineering, 4) Biosciences, 5) Computing 6) Built Environment, 7) Psychology, 8) Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (GEES). This wider base of subjects as recognised by HEA STEM is sensible from an economic perspective. The important skills in STEM relate to numeracy and an ability to generate, understand and analyse empirical data including statistical and critical analysis; a working knowledge of computer hardware, software, programming; and an understanding of scientific and mathematical principles. STEM subjects also share an emphasis on problem solving – applying the theoretical knowledge of the subject to a practical problem in the everyday world, to find innovative and creative solutions. All of these characteristics of STEM subjects are shared by the subjects included in HEA STEM. This broader definition of STEM also has the advantage of allowing recognition of these skills amongst existing graduates.
  2. The HEA considers a STEM job to be one that requires and utilises one or a range of the high level skills in numeracy, analytical skills, statistical skills, mathematical principles, scientific principles, engineering, technology knowledge, computing programming, and highly skilled applications of computing. As a consequence of this definition there are many STEM jobs in non-STEM industries.
  • Do we understand demand for STEM graduates and how this could be used to influence supply?
  1. The demand for STEM graduates may be interpreted on the basis of the needs of STEM employers however it has been observed that many STEM graduates end up in non-STEM jobs. The HEA considers that the STEM skills of numeracy, analytical ability and technology capability are skills required by a wide range of employers from all sectors including corporate, industrial, civil service, NHS and others. The demand is much greater than would be expected by looking at purely STEM sector employers.
  2. Inducement into STEM-related study in higher education (HE) is by the promotion of the range and diverse nature of future employment and identifying the appropriate levels of remuneration.There is also the promotion of academic stimulation from studying and applying knowledge from a STEM discipline to make a difference on global problems, for example energy, climate change, population
  3. The HEA is aware that there is real concern in the computing community about the standing and funding of computing in HE, which contrasts with a speech made recently by the Prime Minister: “we're not doing enough to teach the next generation of programmers. One of the things you hear from the businesses here in Tech City is ‘I don’t just want people who are literate in technology, I want people who want to create [computer] programs’, and I think that’s a real wake up call for us in terms of our education system” ( The approach to IT in schools has confused students understanding of computing as a STEM discipline.

16-18 supply

  • Are schools and colleges supplying the right numbers of STEM students and do they have the right skills to study STEM first degrees?
  1. The HEA acknowledges that school/college curriculum and experience plays a fundamental role in ensuring that students choose STEM subjects and that they enter university with the correct skills. A report from the Russell Group in 2009 highlighted the low supply of STEM students from schools (
  2. The HEA recommends consideration of The Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME) report onthe mathematical needs project. This examined the number of people that should study maths beyond 16 by looking at courses in HE that require some mathematics beyond GCSE/Standard Grade.(
  3. The HEA recommends consideration of The Nuffield Foundationreport on “Is the UK an outlier?”This reports on a range of countries against what proportionstudy mathematics beyond 16, unfortunately England/Wales are last in the table. (
  4. In particular the decline in the skills base of students entering University with A-level Mathematics over the last few decades has been well documented. It is recognised that currently students coming through, for example, a traditional A-level route can achieve high grades by being able to complete routine, highly structured questions; they are considerably less able to attempt unfamiliar problems. The HEA Engineering Subject Centre published an article in 2007 which highlights the lack of mathematical skills in students entering engineering degrees (
  5. In general the HEA is very aware of transition problems into university and is working with the sector to facilitate dialogue. The HEA is currently initiating a project called Tackling Transition with the National Science Learning Centre. The aim is to bring school teachers and university lecturers together to discuss the issues especially around skills gaps. This project will start with psychology but will cover the HEA range of STEM subjects as it is rolled out.
  • What have been the effects of earlier government initiatives on the uptake of STEM subjects at advanced level?
  1. The HEA is conscious of a range of government initiatives that encourage people to enter university and to study STEM subjects. It has been fully supportive of these and acknowledges their success; in particular the HE STEM programme ( and the Aimhigher programme (
  2. Initiatives, such as the HEFCE funded “more maths grads” project 2007-2010, managed by the HEA’s MSOR subject centre, have sought to increase the number of students studying Mathematics. Work, as part of the project, included increasing awareness amongst teachers and pupils of the career opportunities which are available to those who study Mathematics. Following a dip in the number of students studying A-level Mathematics, in recent years the numbers have been continually rising. In recent years opportunities for studying A-level Further Mathematics have increased significantly, as a result of initiatives such as the Further Mathematics Support Programme.
  3. When considering computing, although there has been a recent upturn, the number of students studying computing at university has fallen by almost 50% in the last ten years. Many people put this down to the poor school curriculum which emphasises the use of ICT (databases, spreadsheets) rather than programming skills. It is considered by many to be boring and demotivating. There is considerable work in this area headed by ComputingAtSchool in collaboration with the British Computer Society (
  • What effect, if any, will the English Baccalaureate have on the study of STEM subjects in higher education?
  1. The HEA is aware that there is concern over the English Baccalaureate not leading to any uptake in science subjects (
  2. Whilst the Baccalaureate is likely to widen the skills base so that students have a broader but more general level of education which gives future flexibility it is not necessarily addressing the need of STEM subjects.

Graduate supply

  • Is the current number of STEM students and graduates (from the UK, EU and overseas) sufficient to meet the needs of industry, the research base, and other sectors not directly connected with STEM?
  1. Studying HESA statistics, there has been growth in the uptake of STEM subjects. However, as discussed previously, there is a wide range of employers competing to take the most able of these students. The HEA believes that there is a need to increase the number of STEM graduates which will support developments required in the knowledge economy.
  • Is the quality of STEM graduates emerging from higher education sufficiently high, and if not, why not?
  1. The HEA recognises that quality of STEM graduates is maintained by the high expectations of meeting professional body accreditation.
  • Do STEM graduates have the right skills for their next career move, be it research, industry or more broadly within the economy?
  1. The HEA has worked extensively in the area of employability (see .
  2. STEM graduates are noted for being numerate, and problem solvers – and are therefore attractive to almost any sector of employment. This is an issue because STEM employers are often not offering well-paid career introductions and progression paths that could compete with commerce and business sectors.
  3. From the National Student Survey scores the HEA is aware that there is an issuefor some STEM graduatesthat they do not receive adequate communication and other generic skills. Whilst academics collectively recognise the value of the development of subject knowledge and understanding and some very good work is undertaken in HE institutions to assist students in developing graduate level attributes and skills, not all academics recognise the need for a degree programme to allocate time to the development of students’ wider skills for employability. Yet, these generic skills are the ones upon which the majority of employers place the key emphasis.
  4. Further evidence of lack of appropriate skills can be seen in Computing graduates. Whilst the number of graduates in Computing is increasing and demand for graduates with computing skills is growing, Computing graduates continue to have very high unemployment rates. This suggests that many of those that are graduating do not have the skills required by the industry. It is generally accepted that Computing students do not have the communication and business awareness skills that are required by industry and as seen in David Cameron’s speech, there is also growing concern thatmany Computing graduates are now lacking programming skills.
  5. Geography is a popular A level subject with a strong recruitment profile in most universities. Geography is sometimes offered as a stand-alone degree but also in combination with other subject disciplines. Graduates are seen as being employable due to a mix of numerical and literacy skills. Geology and Environmental sciences struggle more with recruitment, though at postgraduate Masters level employability from some Geology courses is exceptionally high (e.g. those going into mineral exploration). A GEES degree will provide strong training in data analysis and statistics, field research and laboratory methods, and will encourage students to undertake significant independent research. In Environmental science the required grades for entry onto undergraduate courses have traditionally been lower. Careers in environmental consulting pay well, but in conservation are very poorly paid, which could explain the number of STEM graduates who do not go into STEM jobs. Similarly the numerical skills gained in a GEES degree mean that graduates are able to secure jobs in a wide range of career trajectories, such as accounting. Hybrid rather than full STEM funding for Geography on degree courses is jeopardising places in some universities who need to reduce student intake.
  • What effect will higher education reforms have on the quality of teaching, the quality of degrees and the supply of STEM courses in higher education institutions?
  1. The HEA works extensively on the promotion on quality of teaching and the learning experience. The HEA recently commissioned a report by Grahams Gibbs on Dimensions of Quality( The report emphasises the relationship between quality with such factors as class size and contact hours and others. Hence higher education reforms in England, and the increased emphasis on the publication of data through key information sets, could provide the opportunity for a renewed focus on the importance of teaching. If teaching is really to be valued in the same way as research, the career structure within universities needs to change so that there is an increase in the promotional opportunities which are available to good teachers.
  2. The HEA promotes professional development and accreditation of teaching through its recently re-launched UK Professional Standards Framework (
  • What is the relationship between teaching and research? Is it necessary for all universities to teach undergraduates and post graduates and conduct research? What other delivery model should be considered?
  1. The HEA embraces the teaching/research nexus which provides a healthy and vibrant environment in HE. It is highly desirable for HE institutions to both teach and undertake research. The removal of research from some institutions would, in time, lead to a marked two-tier system. Students benefit from an undergraduate curriculum which is informed by research and gain valuable insight into research methods by being taught by active researchers. In many disciplines some element of undergraduate research is included. Research methods are used widely by undergraduates in Statistics.
  2. In general students need to be equipped with cutting edge knowledge, and also find learning about these aspects of their subjects inspiring and motivating. To facilitate students entering into research, they are more likely to do so if they have role models at undergraduate level who are actively advancing their subjects. Not every academic who teaches needs to be research active, but there is a need for at least advanced scholarship of the subject, and there is a need for research activity to be undertaken by at least a significant proportion of the academic staff teaching on a course.
  • Does the UK have a sufficient geographical spread of higher education institutions offering STEM courses?
  1. The MSOR Subject Benchmark Statement (2007) recognises a rich variety in the nature and content of degree programmes in the mathematical sciences. Professor Nigel Steele’s report “Keeping HE Maths where it Counts” ( has also highlighted the importance of location of HE institutions offering Mathematics degree programmes. In particular, it draws attention to the impact this has on students wishing to travel from home to their place of study. The closure of an institution, or even the discontinuation of a discipline within an institution, can have a profound impact on the outreach activities which are accessible to school pupils in a given location. It is inevitable that this could impact on the uptake of STEM subjects.
  2. The HEA is also aware that the Royal Society of Chemistry has expressed concerns about the lack of geographical spread of chemistry degrees.
  • What is being done and what ought to be done to increase the diversity of STEM graduates in terms of gender, ethnic origin and socio-economic background?
  1. In the HEA definition of STEM there is a wide variation of uptake in terms of gender and diversity, for example in physics the uptake is approximately 20% female whilst in the biological sciences the range is approximately 50-60% and in Psychology it is 70-80% (data from HESA statistics for 2009-2010). Psychology also has a higher proportion of disabled students than many other subjects (see Craig and Zinckiewicz, 2010, Inclusive practice within psychology higher education, published by HEA Psychology Network).
  2. The HEA believes that to increase the diversity within STEM, there needs to be culture change within the lecture theatres and within the workplace. For instance, in the physical sciences, the HEA has recognised the excellent work on changing culture in undergraduate physics degrees as demonstrated by Professor Simon Bates team in the University of Edinburgh see ( His team has researched and applied the use of Personal Response systems as a tool for interactive engagement in large lectures. They have demonstrated that their adopted methodology which enables debate and interaction in large group male dominated lectures not only greatly increases the attainment of female students but also the whole class. The HEA has funded a workshop to highlight this inclusive culture changing approach to others and is in negotiation to look at further dissemination methods. Such approaches need to be adopted more widely across the UK.

Post-graduate supply

  • Are we currently supporting the right number of PhD studentships to maintain the research base and are they of sufficient quality?
  1. A significant number on STEM PhDs are from overseas; they will benefit personally, the project will be good and hopefully part of a larger programme at an HEI, but the researcher on completion is likely to return to their home country with a significantly higher standing than if they remain in the UK.
  • Should state funding be used to promote Masters degrees and is the balance right between the number of Masters degree students and PhD students?
  1. In Biological sciences, the HEA understands that many biological scientists believe that there is a definite place and purpose for one-year and two-year taught/research postgraduate programmes that provide advanced learning without necessarily requiring the commitment and extreme specialisation of doctoral programmes.
  2. Psychology postgraduate training often culminates in a professional doctorate, rather than a PhD. This prepares the postgraduate student for research, but also for professional practice within e.g. the health service, prison service, and educational system. From psychology graduates 20% pursue careers in professional psychology, whilst 80% seek other careers. There is some postgraduate training relevant to these graduates, including the PhD route, but as this does not prepare them for careers in psychology due to lack of accreditation (HPC), it tends to be either research focussed or more generic in its emphasis (e.g. finance/accounting, human resources, marketing etc). Demand for professional psychology postgraduate training is high and extremely competitive. There is scope for provision of postgraduate training for psychology graduates to prepare students for alternative careers in areas that traditionally seek STEM graduates.
  • What impact will higher education reforms have on the willingness of graduates to pursue a research career?
  1. The HEA is aware that there is serious concern that the reforms may have an unintended consequence of reducing the number of graduates willing to undertake research qualifications and hence a research career. In particular, the new fee regime and the consequent rise in student debt, is predicted to have a deleterious effect on PGT and PGR enrolment for UK students.
  2. A report from the Higher Education Funding Council for England shows that the growth in international students taking up postgraduate places in science, technology, engineering and mathematic subjects is far outstripping that among their UK counterparts.

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