Science teachers link classrooms to the world of agriculture

December 06, 2007

Twenty science teachers from nine secondary schools in Armidale, Tamworth and Guyra spent two days this week exploring the frontiers of agricultural research and links between that research and the school curriculum.

The "Teacher Professional Development" event was the first stage of a program aimed at encouraging promising students at those schools to consider careers in agricultural science.

Based at the University of New England, this local program is part of the national Primary Industry Centre for Science Education (PICSE) project established in 2000 to address a nation-wide shortage of skilled young people entering agricultural science careers.

On Monday 3 December, the 20 teachers visited UNE to hear presentations by scientists who are at the forefront of research on the effects of grey water on soils, the treatment and re-use of sewage and feedlot waste water, the use of isotopes as traces to study animal digestion, the role of micro-organisms in animal digestion, genetic technologies in the beef cattle industry, and the scientific instrumentation that is making "precision agriculture" a reality. They also visited the Bioniche Animal Health factory in Armidale, where they observed the preparation of hormones for animal breeding programs.

They spent the following day in Tamworth, where they met scientists at the Tamworth Agricultural Institute, visited Joe White Maltings (Australia's largest malting company), and examined water-testing technology at East West EnviroAg.

One of the teachers – Joanne Morris from Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School in Tamworth – said the event had provided "a different perspective on what we teach the students". That new perspective, she said, would help teachers to form "real-world links" with the classroom – links that could show students the relevance and importance of what they are learning, and the potential of agricultural science as an exciting career.

Susanna Greig, the PICSE Educational Officer based at UNE, said it had been the first PICSE project event in NSW. "The response has been outstanding," Ms Greig said. She explained that PICSE had been founded by Dr David Russell at the University of Tasmania in 2000, and had spread to the University of Western Australia in 2002 and South Australia's Flinders University in 2005 before coming to UNE this year.

Early in 2008 the focus will shift to those students who have been selected to participate in the program with the help of PICSE Industry Placement Scholarships. During a "Science to Industry Student Camp" (January 7-11) they will find out about new developments – and career and research opportunities – in agricultural science, and then they will undertake Industry Placements (January 14-18) that will enable them to gain experience working in an agricultural science industry/business setting for five days.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at December 6, 2007 12:56 PM