Teaching and learning in small rural primary schools in Austria and Switzerland—Opportunities and challenges from teachers’ and students’ perspectives

Abstract

Rural areas in Austria and Switzerland abound with small schools organized into multi-grade classes due to low pupil numbers. In the Interreg research project ‘Small Schools in alpine Regions’ a research team from Austria and Switzerland investigated small schools, examining factors such as the work of head teachers and teachers in small rural schools, teaching and learning practices in multi-grade classes, and students’ perspectives on learning in a small school setting. Stories from teachers and students in various small rural primary schools in different regions in the Alps show the plurality of schools and reveal the degree to which context is influencing the work of head teachers and teachers as well as the learning of children. In this article, some general characteristics of participating small rural schools will first be discussed, followed by an analysis of the experiences with multi-grade classes and the teaching and learning practices.