The Growing Tall Poppies Science Partnership Program aims to increase the number of secondary students, especially girls, studying science and physical sciences in Years 11 and 12. It creates partnerships between universities, research institutions, and secondary schools to provide educational initiatives and outreach programs connecting students to scientists. Research shows that girls in particular disconnect from physics in secondary school because it lacks relevance and career pathways. The program highlights how physics enables and transforms other fields like biology and medicine, and creates a network between scientists and students to demystify physical sciences and careers. It allows students to work directly with scientists on authentic projects to engage them and show physics' transformative social impact. Evaluation shows the program significantly increased the retention of girls taking physics in Year

1. Growing Tall Poppies Science Partnership Program
Overview
Established 2008 | Supported by Australian Government AMSPP
www.growingtallpoppies.com
WHO ARE WE?
Growing Tall Poppies Science Partnership Program is a partnership
between The University of Melbourne, La Trobe University, Deakin
University, Griffith University, University of New South Wales, Australian
Synchrotron, ANSTO, Catholic Education Office Melbourne, ARC Centre
of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, ARC Centre of Excellence
for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers, Santa Maria College and
Charles La Trobe Secondary College.
We are funded by the Australian Government Mathematics and Science
Partnership Program.
GOAL
Growing Tall Poppies’ goal is to increase the number of secondary
students, especially girls, who study science and especially the physical
sciences in Years 11 and 12. This is achieved through partnerships
of educational initiatives and outreach programs between secondary
schools and science partners.
IMPETUS
Increasing the number of students studying STEM (science technology
engineering and mathematics) subjects is imperative to Australia
for economic growth and because we aspire to be an innovative,
scientifically aware and literate society. Over the last few decades,
however there have been falling enrolments in secondary school science
and especially of girls in physics. Yet physics is an enabling science that
supports technological and biological advancement, economic growth,
and it opens many opportunities and a wide range of careers in and
beyond the STEM areas. The pool of students needs to be increased at
year 12 before flow on effects into STEM areas can be changed.

2. EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH – the case
for change
Research informs us that students, most especially girls, are
disconnected with physics at secondary school because it is perceived
as lacking importance, relevance and does not lead to meaningful career
pathways. In contrast biology and psychology are considered as socially
and personally transformative sciences. Research also indicates that girls
need to identify with a social group that they aspire to belong and seek
careers in. The content driven learning of school physics does not offer
the social connectedness that girls need to stay engaged and enrolled.
CENTRAL IDEAS
Growing Tall Poppies creates student connections with physics, and
more broadly the physical sciences, by highlighting the enabling and
transformative role they play in the areas of biology, medicine and social
change. Furthermore, it creates a comprehensive network of interactions
between scientists and secondary students to demystify the physical
sciences and develop a social awareness of the STEM professions. This
contributes to the social continuity that supports students to remain
enrolled in physics to year 12.
STRATEGY – address local and global
issues relevant to people, individuals
and society
The strategy of Growing Tall Poppies is to build and sustain partnerships
between secondary schools and scientists to enable students to
work with, interact and network with scientists in authentic ways. This
promotes student engagement and understanding of the transformative
nature and use of physics that lead to socially relevant improvements that
happen locally, nationally and globally.
OUTCOMES
By allowing secondary students and teachers to collaborate on
meaningful and authentic questions with scientists at universities, science
facilities and corporations they come to know the transformative nature
and social impact of physics. Students are more likely to study physics
to year 12, which is a significant contribution to increasing the pool of
students who can feed into the STEM areas in Australia.
EFFICACY – does it work?
Through highlighting the transformative nature of physics, and its
attribute of expanding career opportunities, more girls stay enrolled to
year 12 physics.
RETENTION RATE OF VICTORIAN GIRLS COMPLETING
YEAR 11 AND 12 PHYSICS
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Figure 2: The graph illustrates that the retention of Girls in Physics at
Santa Maria College (Squares) has significantly increased by 80% since
the introduction of GTP Program in 2008. In contrast the numbers in
Victoria (Diamonds) has not significantly changed. Implementation of the
GTP Program in large numbers of secondary schools could increase the
number of girls studying physics to year 12.
HOW WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE – Growing
Tall Poppies Science Partnerships Program
Delivers authentic science experience programs for years 10 and 11
students in Victoria and interstate;
Annual Alumni Conference for students, teachers and scientists;
Provides authentic science learning modules for school implementation
both in the classroom and in connection with the science community
which are suitable for all year levels;
Annual Student and Teacher Awards programs to develop student and
teacher leaders to implement the GTP pedagogy;
Currently implementing teacher professional development programs;
Developing collaborations with existing STEM programs that share similar
goals to enhance student outcomes;
Expand the number of partnerships between schools and the science
community in Australia.
CONTACT
Eroia Barone-Nugent, Director ebarone@unimelb.edu.au
Olivia Hides, Media Co-ordinator growingtallpoppies@gmail.com