1. Widening and deepening the STEM effect Brigid Freeman, Simon Marginson and Russell Tytler 2. What international comparisons can tell us Simon Marginson 3. From STEM to STEAM: Achievements and challenges in dynamic Korea Jae-Eun Jon and Hae-In Chung 4. An emerging giant of science: Achievements and challenges of STEM education in China Yuan Gao 5. Invigorate the Asia Tiger: Science education in Taiwan Yuan Gao 6. Japan: Restoring faith in science through competitive STEM strategy Mayumi Ishikawa, Ashlyn Moehle and Shota Fujii 7. STEM and STEM education in the United States Adam V. Maltese, Geoff Potvin, Florin D. Lung and Craig D. Hochbein 8. Canada: Decentralization, federalism and STEM education Julian Weinrib and Glen A. Jones 9. Changing the shape of STEM: Wisdom of grassroots Indigenous movements in Canada Glen S. Aikenhead and Dawn Sutherland 10. United Kingdom: An example of the impact of high stakes accountability regimes on STEM education Anthony Tomei, Justin Dillon and Emily Dawson 11. Federal and state STEM policies and programs spanning Australian education, training, science and innovation Brigid Freeman 12. New Zealand: Towards inclusive STEM education for all students Elizabeth McKinley, Mark Gan, Cathy Buntting and Alister Jones 13. STEM education in France: Pathways and obstacles to greater participation Kelly Roberts and Elodie de Oliveira 14. STEMming the tide: The Finnish way to a technologically proficient workforce Ian R. Dobson 15. Between historical advantages and global challenges: Do the STEM disciplines matter in Russia? Anna Smolentseva 16. A keystone to the future of Brazil: Fostering general and STEM education for an inclusive development Hugo Horta and Paulo Noronha Lisboa Filho 17. STEM education in the quest to build a new South Africa Michael Kahn

Brigid Freeman is Research Fellow at Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne.

Simon Marginson is Professor of International Higher Education at the Institute of Education, University of London, and Honorary Professorial Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Higher Education, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne.

Russell Tytler is Professor and Chair in Science Education at the Faculty of Arts and Education, School of Education, Deakin University, Australia.

Across the world STEM (learning and work in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) has taken central importance in education and the economy in a way that few other disciplines have. STEM competence has become seen as key to higher productivity, technological adaptation and research-based innovation. No area of educational provision has a greater current importance than the STEM disciplines yet there is a surprising dearth of comprehensive and world-wide information about STEM policy, participation, programs and practice.
The Age of STEM is a state of the art survey of the global trends and major country initiatives in STEM. It gives an international overview of issues such as:
STEM strategy and coordination
curricula, teaching and assessment
women in STEM
indigenous students
research training
STEM in the graduate labour markets
STEM breadth and STEM depth
The individual chapters give comparative international analysis as well as a global overview, particularly focusing on the growing number of policies and practices in mobilising and developing talent in the STEM fields. The book will be of particular interest to anyone involved in educational policy, those in education management and leaders in both schooling and tertiary education. It will have a wider resonance among practitioners in the STEM disciplines, particularly at university level, and for those interested in contemporary public policy.