SA student teachers in Bridging the Gap industry placements program

Image: John Mignone, Department of State Development Mineral Resources Division Education and Community Information Services Manager, with five trainee science teachers from Flinders, left to right, Michael Bocse, Emily Halls, Kimberly Jackson, Hannah Wertheim and Emily Hawkins at the Drill Core Library at Tonsley. (Image source: Flinders University)

The SA Government's Bridging the Gap program aims to connect science education with the real world by giving student teachers contact with industry via visits and site experiences which helps them instruct high school students on the applications for STEM subjects.

A second round of 20 student teacher placements is planned this year.

Dr Carol Aldous, STEM industry engagement and co-ordinator science programs, is leading the Bridging the Gap program at Flinders University.

“We want to be teaching science from a richer place and you have to see how it applies in society and in real-life problems and applications to see how science, mathematics and technology are interwoven,” said Aldous.

The pilot program is anticipated to be incorporated into the teaching practices at Flinders University as part of the education degree.

Flinders students last year made short visits and forged valuable practical knowledge of operations at local companies including SA Power Networks, Beach Energy, APA Group, Arrium Mining and SAGE Automation.

Flinders student teacher, Hannah Wertheim, says her placement at Arrium included work on a problem related to improving the accuracy of drill sites in exploration mining.