Wheatbelt school program bridges Western science and Aboriginal knowledge
An innovative educational initiative is set to enrich science and literacy learning for students in WA’s Wheatbelt.
Learning on Country: A Two-way Integrated Science and Literacy Program for Wheatbelt Schools merges Western scientific approaches with Aboriginal ecological knowledge, providing an engaging, place-based educational experience for students in Years 1 to 10.
It has been developed by semi-retired environmental biologists Honorary Research Associate Felicity Bradshaw and Emeritus Professor Don Bradshaw from The University of Western Australia’s School of Biological Sciences, with help from UWA researchers.
Felicity Bradshaw has written a number of books for primary school children among them, A Tale of Two Honey Possums, The Great Lizard Trek, and Be a Bush Scientist, the latter developed by UWA’s Centre for Learning and Technology.
She produced the new educational resource while working with a Wheatbelt school under the CSIRO STEM Professional-in-Schools program.
“The program integrates the long-time ecological knowledge of the local Ballardong people, guiding teachers on how to include the Aboriginal population in their classes, with modules providing seamless learning between science and literacy across different year levels,” Ms Bradshaw said.
The resource supports key WA Department of Education strategies, including Australian Curriculum implementation, professional learning support, and student attendance and engagement.
It is available in hard copy and online versions.
The program incorporates research findings from UWA, along with Murdoch and Curtin Universities, to deliver a comprehensive and robust educational experience and has been funded under the State National Resource Management Program.
