Recent New Zealand research suggests that students choose science subjects at school believing that these will lead into further learning and work pathways. But do students get enough information at school to help them to navigate these pathways?
This article discusses an initiative called 'The Business of Science' which aimed to provide Year 13 students in the Waikato region with information about the direction of New Zealand's economy, and the future of science and technology growth industries, in order to influence students' decisions about what to study at university.
It describes how government policy messages about combining science with business were presented to students, and then explores students' perceptions of these messages.
Finally, it looks at what science teachers can do to help students to see pathways from their current science studies into further study or careers, bearing in mind the rapidly diversifying world of science-related work.
The full journal article published in:
New Zealand Science Teacher, 106, 2004. p. 36-40