Listen
Photo: RNZ/Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
A new report from Nanogirl Labs has found teacher confidence is one of the key factors for science not being taught consistently in primary and intermediate schools.
New Zealand is seeing declining results in science and a disengagement with the subject amongst older students.
Only 20 percent of children in their final year of primary and intermediate are reaching the expected level of the curriculum in science, the worst result for any subject for year 8 students.
The subject is also not being taught regularly, just 22 percent of surveyed primary teachers teach the subject regularly and 7 percent don't teach science at all.
Kathryn speaks with Dr Michelle Dickinson, co-founder of Nanogirl Labs, Dr Steven Sexton, a primary school teacher and senior lecturer at the University of Otago's College of Education, and Sandy Jackson, a teacher and national coordinator of the Association of Primary Science Educators.