The issue of WP5 is how recruitment to STM (of women in particular) may be improved through two main types of measures:

1. Changing STM curriculum content and context and teaching/learning approaches and
2. Recruitment initiatives and campaigns implemented by governments, educational institutions or business/industry organisations (UiO)

WP5 will review international research literature on students‟ (particularly girls‟) experiences of science education and the impact on science course choices. This review will inform the design of questions related to this issue for inclusion in the IRIS Q. A particular focus will be the impact of recent school science curriculum reform initiatives in England. These reforms have enabled greater flexibility of school science courses and an emphasis on socioscientific topics and science issues in the media. This study will identify experiences of secondary science curriculum and teaching/learning approaches that influence course choice into higher education. An important strand in our work on recruitment will be the nature, role and impact of career guidance initiatives .There is evidence that student course choices in relation to science are based partly on occupational images of working scientists (Cleaves, 2005).The report from the High Level Group on Increasing Human Resources for Science and Technology in Europe identified the significance of careers education for science/technology recruitment, concluding that: "industry and the profession are not selling careers in SET in the most attractive fashion, which is certainly an area for future attention" (EU, 2004). Work Package 5 will review such perspectives and draw upon the insights gained in the design and analysis of case studies.

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