Teacher takes lessons outdoors to give science a lift

By JO-MARIE BROWN

A high school science teacher is taking his lessons outdoors in an effort to dispel his subject's "Frankenstein" image and encourage more students to pursue science as a career.

Murray Pearce, who heads the science department at Western Heights High School in Rotorua, has been teaching for almost 30 years and is worried by the number of students bypassing science in favour of other subjects at university.

"I feel that part of the reason is that we aren't moving with the times," he says.

"We're not presenting science in schools in a way that is particularly interesting or attention-grabbing.

"In a lot of students' minds there's been a sort of Frankenstein vision of science presented to them by groups with certain agendas which has made science a bit out of fashion."

In an effort to reverse that trend, Mr Pearce has linked with scientists from the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences to run a hands-on project looking at water quality and land use in the Bay of Plenty.

Up to 50 students studying science, chemistry, biology and geography at Western Heights High School are taking part in the year-long project by collecting water samples and analysing them at the institute's laboratory at Wairakei, near Taupo.

"I wanted the kids to experience a seamless scientific world where they could work alongside real research scientists on a common project," Mr Pearce said.

"The buzz from the kids has been tremendous. They hadn't considered that science could be a career path and that the scientists they're working with are very interesting people.

"It's made me realise that perhaps we've neglected this concept for far too long.

"We should expand it to other schools in the region or elsewhere in New Zealand."

Mr Pearce was awarded a teaching fellowship to carry out the project by the country's top science body, the Royal Society of New Zealand.

He says he and the institute are hoping they can raise enough money to keep the scheme going beyond the end of this year.