For over ten years, the NSW Board of Studies' statistics had indicated a general decline in the number of students undertaking a traditional science in senior secondary schools in New South Wales. As well, the statistics had been supported by direct observation and comment from science educators in high schools about an increasing reluctance by students for a number of reasons to choose science subjects for senior studies in secondary school. This disconcerting problem consequently led to the consideration of an appropriate teaching and learning strategy for the secondary science 7-10 classroom that could positively modify attitudes and motivation. The literature review and personal involvement in workshops for students by the teacher- researcher had indicated that exciting themes of aviation, space travel and exploration of the universe had positively influenced the motivation of students. Thus, the hypothesis for this research was that the use of themes of 'aviation', 'astronautics' and 'space' to be collectively called aerospace themes, was an effective strategy for increasing motivation for learning in a secondary science classroom that would encourage students to select a science for senior studies. The research was conducted in a public, comprehensive secondary school in New South Wales in which a pilot study, followed by a case study, was undertaken. Each study was carried out for a period of one teaching unit of five weeks. In order to foster quality learning, the school had introduced a middle schooling approach to education to cater for a community characterised by high, persistent unemployment and single parent families placing many households in the low socio-economic level. The classes that were involved in the pilot study were two Year 7 classes that were part of the initial trial of middle schooling at the school and were already experiencing teaching and learning via themes. Year 10 classes had been selected for the case study because this school had also experienced a serious decreasing interest by students in studying science subjects in Years 11 and 12. The suggested consequence by the principal of the school was possibly to remove some sciences from the senior school curriculum. From the case study then, the effectiveness of the research strategy could also be ascertained within the same year when the students would be invited to submit preferences for senior study. To ensure that internal validity was optimised during the study so that meaningful inferences could be made from the results, multiple methods of collecting the data called 'triangulation' were used. The research had demonstrated that most students of the case study have undergone significant modification of their motivation to science and willingness to select sciences at senior level of secondary schooling. In general, the positive influences of the use of aerospace thematic teaching were definitely in excess of the disadvantages and, therefore, further research and/or actual use in the classroom deserves consideration by science teachers for the good of science and the Australian society.