Establishing an empirically determined national rural education research agenda

Abstract

This report synthesizes the first comprehensive national effort to derive an empirical data base for establishing rural education research priorities. A geographically representative national sample of 461 rural education researchers and practitioners contributed to this effort. The study involved rating 46 research questions and prioritizing 13 themes and concluded with a cluster analysis. Nine research clusters were identified and were rank ordered as listed: Rural School Effectiveness; Governance and Finance Issues; Staff Training Needs, Advanced Technologies as Resources; Teaching Styles and Incentives; Field-Based Personnel Preparation; Preservice Preparation (ethical issues, curriculum, methods,logistics); Personnel Recruitment and Retention; School-Community Interaction; and Rural vs. Nonrural Factors. A key strength of the entire analysis is the homogeneity of responses and prioritizations. Although personal research interests varied, as would be expected, rural practitioners and researchers across the country clearly agreed when prioritizing the importance of the clusters of research issues for the field of rural education. The research agenda study generated long and short-range goals for policy and practice at all levels. This document relates implications of the study for the Federal Government, relevant state agencies, higher education institutions, rural schools and students, and data dissemination. This study was conducted by the National Rural Education Research Consortium, which is composed of rural researchers and practitioners representative of the United States. Through formal and informal linkage systems, research needs are identified and relevant studies are facilitated by the Consortium. (For example, expertise, data pools, and other research elements are shared; data samples are bartered; literature is reviewed; and research designs are collaboratively reviewed.)