According to the 2025-26 Youth in STEM survey conducted by the Australian Government, 61% of girls and 64% of boys expressed interest in science. The survey polled 3,000 youths between 12 and 25 years old. Another question targeted only students in Years 11 and 12. Only 27% of girls and 44% of boys in this category intended to opt for STEM elective courses in the future. The two numbers measure different things. However, together they pose an interesting question for parents considering VCE tuition for their kids in Maths and Science. Why does excitement dissipate right before making subject choices?
Two Subjects, Two Kinds Of Difficulty
Mathematics is cumulative. Poor algebraic skills in Year 10 make learning Unit 3 difficult, as each new concept requires knowledge of previous concepts. Science is different. It is cumulative too, but it forms interconnections across units and even subjects.
Chemistry involves mathematical calculations. Biology depends on data and graphs. Physics needs both. Language poses yet another challenge, as an answer written loosely might result in losing marks despite the fact that the answer is scientifically accurate. Student-led investigations, a focus of VCE tutoring in Maths and Science, require planning, judgement and self-evaluation of results.
Skilful in one subject does not mean a student is competent in another. For instance, a student who likes clear-cut answers will have trouble explaining the mistakes made during the experiment. A gifted writer will be frozen when facing a mathematics question requiring six specific steps. Tutors who recognise both of these patterns can label them promptly, which helps the student identify the needed skill.
Why Some Able Students Withdraw From The Subjects?
One of the questions asked in the same national survey was why students not planning to pursue further studies in STEM did not want to do so. Many answered that the subjects had nothing to do with their career choice. Some students just did not want to take the subjects, while others found them too challenging.
This answer deserves close examination. Being challenging and difficult are different notions. Capable students may lack self-confidence. Repairing this belief in a student is the very first step in helping the student, as confidence determines whether he or she will persist or give up.
Building A Workable Week
Your timetable for Year 11 and 12 rarely comes together in neat blocks, does it? SACs seem to all come up at once, practicals bring on reports, and maths practice is usually the first thing that gets pushed to the side. But planning backwards from your assessment dates is often the way to go; it’s a much simpler solution than any fancy study trick.
A basic weekly routine suits lots of students. Include:
- Two shorter maths sessions on different days, to keep the practice steady.
- Two science sessions, one for content and the other for data, graphs and practicals.
- One mixed review to go back over recent mistakes in both subjects.
- One evening that’s completely free of study, just for some chill time.
And don’t forget to schedule in sleep and exercise; that’s usually some advice from the school guides for VCE families about good sleep being good for concentration and memory. When you notice a few careless errors creeping in, it’s probably more than just a matter of being weak; you’re probably just tired.
Study Habits That Actually Work For Both Subjects
Re-reading your notes can feel productive, but let’s be real, it’s often not very effective at improving your recall. Retrieval practice is a lot better; basically, it means putting the book down and trying to answer the questions from memory. It can be a bit uncomfortable, but that struggle is actually what helps the learning stick.
Spacing is also really helpful. If you come back to a topic after a few days, then again a couple of weeks later, you’ll find that your memory is stronger than if you’d spent hours on it in one go. Doing a mix of maths and science questions at the same time also helps you develop the habit of choosing the right method for the job, rather than just following a template.
Don’t neglect your marking criteria either; most students don’t give them enough attention. Checking your answer against the criteria, not just the final number, can really help you see where you’re picking up and losing marks. Your tutor can model this by having you come up with a predicted mark before checking it together.
What Strong Support Actually Looks Like?
Support for two subjects is best started with a separate assessment in each, if possible. Then, you want to identify one clear goal for the term in each subject, something like fixing up your unit errors in chemistry or getting better at exact value answers in maths. Small groups work really well for keeping things lively, and recording your sessions can be a lifesaver when things get messy with sport, illness or SAC weeks getting in the way.
Progress usually shows up in small ways first. You might find that you’re labelling graphs without any help, or that your working is getting a lot clearer. You might even start explaining your own mistakes to yourself. Better marks usually come a bit later. And one last thing; you don’t need to love both subjects equally, but you do need to have a plan that stops one from crowding out the other.
