Creepy-crawleys catch student interest

This year’s Eureka Prize winner for science teaching has no laboratory but the surrounding bush and his students’ enthusiasm. Since his science program began in Maningrida three years ago, he and his students have identified 45 new species of spider—and that’s just one achievement in Mason Scholes’ innovative approach to teaching. Julie Crough reports.  

An innovative senior school science program in Arnhem Land that values Indigenous Knowledge and blends it with western science is producing outstanding results not just for the students but also for the community.

At Maningrida Community Education Centre (CEC), Eureka Prize winning science teacher Mason Scholes recognises that Indigenous students have a deep understanding of their country and validates this by developing a relevant science-based career pathway that students can pursue in their own community.
Field work that engages both students and the Maningrida Djelk Rangers is the key to Maningrida CEC’s successful Year 11 and 12 Contemporary Issues and Science program.

“Students love doing field work with the Djelk Rangers which encourages them to stay in school,” Mason enthused. Mason, who researched spiders as part of his university studies, shares his knowledge and interest in spiders with the students.

“I found that spiders are exciting for students to study as they are fascinated with them and there is a slight adrenaline rush you get when collecting them,” he explained.

Since Mason’s program began three years ago students have discovered 45 new species of spiders that the Queensland Museum is currently classifying. Apart from identifying new spider species, students working with the Djelk Rangers have been involved in the collection and incubation of crocodile and turtle eggs, commercial hunting of crocodiles, buffalo disease monitoring, foreign fishing vessel issues, mining and Mimosa pigra control.

Indigenous knowledge and science interface

Mason has inspired Indigenous students to make western science part of their culture.

“While there is no science laboratory at Maningrida, we have the bush, and we use the bush and our environment to conduct a series of scientific surveys.

“The students are engaged, committed and hungry for knowledge because the work they are doing has direct causal relationships with the world they live in,” he said.

Not only have students been engaged and motivated on country, they have shown initiative in their approach to scientific method.

For example, one Year 12 student developed a successful ‘pied-piper’ technique for collecting spiders by using the vibrations of a car’s idling engine to attract spiders. His enterprising approach proved to be a far more effective method for collecting spiders with 57 spiders collected when the car was idling compared with only seven when the engine was switched off.

Win-Win-Win

The program has been a win-win-win situation for the students, the community and the school.

Engaging the community, especially the Maningrida Djelk Rangers Wildlife Officers, has inspired the students.

“Students gain an understanding of the Rangers’ work which can either encourage students to participate in that field of work or work elsewhere if they wish.

“Last year three graduates gained employment in the community—two as Rangers and one as a Chairman for the Maningrida Youth Council.

“All male students, bar two, who have graduated from Maningrida CEC have obtained full-time employment in the community,” Mason explains. 

Maningrida CEC was only accredited to offer a high school program in 2003. This enabled students—for the first time—to complete their Year 11 and 12 studies for the Northern Territory Certificate of Education (NTCE) in the community rather than leave their family to study in Darwin. The success of this remote school program speaks for itself: in 2004 there were four Year 12 graduates; in 2005 there were eight, and in 2006, there were 11, three of whom achieved a Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) result. The program has been recognised as a model by other remote community schools in the Top End. 

A bright future

The program plans to incorporate studies of other fauna such as insects—but not just yet according to Mason.

“We have just found a new species of tarantula which Dr Robert Raven [from Queensland Museum] has identified for us,” Mason said. “This is a spider that nothing is known about, so Dr Raven has given us some real life science projects that the students can run with which have real-life contributions to the science world.” 

There is a strong possibility that some of the new spiders will be named after the people who discovered them—the students—although this will be subject to consultation with their Elders.