Rural School Teachers Research Articles

Retention and job satisfaction among rural primary school teachers in Malawi

ABSTRACT Teachers are instrumental in promoting equitable access to education. In Malawi, Africa, teaching posts in rural schools go unfilled. This has culminated in discussions about appropriate ways to enhance teacher retention in rural schools. This research adopted Mason and Matas' four-capital model of teacher retention as a framework to study the predictors of teacher retention and job satisfaction. We recruited a total of 305 primary school teachers from 44 rural schools in 21 communities in two of Malawi's three regions. The data were entered into SPSS. Findings from a t-test, analysis of variance, correlations and linear and hierarchical regressions found a positive relation between social and structural capital in the retention model and that teacher retention correlated positively with job satisfaction, with education predicting retention. The article concludes by discussing the need for teacher educators to prioritise social and structural capital to promote rural education.

Motivating Teachers in Rural Schools of Bhutan to Improve the Quality of Education

Motivating Teachers in Rural Schools of Bhutan to Improve the Quality of Education

Understanding Rural School Teachers’ Professional Agency and Its Relationship to Social Structure

Research on the role of teacher agency has been growing significantly during the last decade. Agentic teachers act purposefully and constructively to direct their professional development and contribute to the quality of education, especially in rural areas. Professional development is mutually constituted between teachers and socio-cultural conditions (e.g., circumstances, physical artifacts, power relations, and school cultures) that constrain or enable their agency. This study explored teacher professional agency, and its relationship to teacher perceived social structure, using two newly developed scales: (1) the Teacher Professional Agency (TPA) and (2) the Teacher-Perceived Social Structure (TPSS). A total number of 592 teachers working at rural schools in western China completed the questionnaire. The findings revealed that the two scales were valid and reliable instruments for measuring teacher professional agency, and teacher perceived social structure. Findings show a modestly-moderately correlation between teachers’ professional identity and their perceived social identity. Collegial relationships, followed by school climate and social identity, have the strongest impact on teachers’ professional agency.

Principals as Protagonists: Practices Beneficent for Indigenous Education in Rural Schools

The participation and performance of Indigenous students in Australia's schools is below that of other students and is a matter of national concern. Evidence suggests that the impact on student learning of school principals' leadership is significant. What then, can school principals do to improve schooling outcomes for Indigenous students? Herein, we discuss research that investigated school principals' professional practices associated with their leadership of Indigenous education in rural, regional and remote (RRR) schools. Qqualitative research was undertaken using interpretive methodologies and document analysis techniques. Data collected in the period 2012-2014 through evaluations of Indigenous education in thirty one Australian primary, secondary and combined schools, from diverse RRR locations, was used for the research. Principals' professional practices described in the 'Australian Professional Standard for Principals' provided the overall framing for analysis of the data (AITSL, 2014). Principals' extant practices that shape the ecology of education for Indigenous students in rural schools were identified. Educational leadership that authentically values the culture, agency and beliefs of Indigenous people; that places Indigenous students' physical, mental, cultural and spiritual wellbeing at the centre of the schools' activities; that actively develops collaborative relationships and networks based on reciprocity, trust, cooperation and civility; that is guided and sustained by humanistic endeavour, makes a significant contribution towards the participation and achievements of Indigenous students. The article concludes with a framework for leadership of Indigenous education in RRR schools which locates the principal in the role of 'protagonist', building bridging social capital around the practices that contribute holistically to the education of Indigenous students.

Existing Problems and Development Countermeasures of Biology Teaching in Rural Middle Schools

At present, with the rapid development of biology, the national basic education also pays more and more attention to the biology curriculum, updates the educational concept, and implements the curriculum reform, which has significantly improved the quality of biology teaching in middle school. However, due to the uneven distribution of educational resources between urban and rural areas, there is still a big gap in biology teaching between rural and urban areas. This paper mainly analyzes the main problems of biology teaching in rural middle schools through literature research and combined with the current teaching situation of several rural middle schools in Henan Province. The results show that the problems existing in biology teaching in rural middle schools mainly focus on three aspects: teachers, biology experiment teaching, and the development and utilization of biology curriculum resources. This paper aims to investigate and study the main problems existing in biology teaching in rural middle schools, and then put forward targeted development countermeasures to improve the quality of biology teaching in rural middle schools and narrow the teaching gap between urban and rural areas. Such as strengthening the construction of biology teachers and promoting teachers’ professional development, changing the concept of biological experiments,s and strengthening the construction of laboratories, on the basis of making full use of school resources, vigorously developing natural resources, and network resources. The number of rural middle schools in China is huge and the teaching situation is complex. Therefore, this study is not comprehensive. It is the problem of most rural schools, not all schools. Rural education is the weak point of Chinese education, and biology teaching is the weak point of rural education. Analyzing the existing main problems of biology teaching in rural middle schools and putting forward development countermeasures can not only enrich the theoretical research of rural education, but also provide reference for the teaching practice of rural teachers.

Understanding rural secondary school teachers’ perceptions and attitudes on the use of ICT for teaching and learning

Understanding rural secondary school teachers’ perceptions and attitudes on the use of ICT for teaching and learning

Staffing for School Turnaround in Rural Settings

ABSTRACT Recruiting and retaining effective teachers is critical to school turnaround. However, research on how improving educator quality in low-performing schools contributes to school improvement is largely situated in urban settings. This study examines staffing practices through a descriptive analysis of the first cohort of Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools in North Carolina. In the 94 schools slated for turnaround, ineffective teachers in rural schools were less likely to turn over than in non-rural schools. Instead of filling vacancies with more effective teachers than they lost, rural schools tended to assign their more effective teachers to tested grades and subjects.

Talking about the Professional Well-being of Rural Junior Middle School Teachers

Talking about the Professional Well-being of Rural Junior Middle School Teachers

Assessment of psychosocial work hazards and workplace deviant behaviours of teachers in rural community‐based schools

This is a cross-sectional study that assessed the psychosocial work hazards and workplace deviant behaviours of teachers in rural community-based schools. A total of 254 primary school teachers participated in the study. Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) and Work Deviance Behaviour Scale were employed to elicit the teachers' responses. The descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage), and Pearson's correlation (r) statistical analysis were used to analyse the data. The results showed that the primary school teachers experience elements of psychosocial work hazards. It was also indicated that primary school teachers rarely exhibit work deviant behaviours. There is a significant positive relationship between psychosocial work hazards and workplace deviant behaviours of primary school teachers in Enugu State. In conclusion, it was suggested that teachers experience psychosocial work hazards and exhibit workplace deviant behaviours in primary schools in Enugu State Nigeria. Therefore, professionals in workplaces including schools should design practicable interventions that would help to reduce workplace deviance among employees in different works of life. With this, these should be reflected in decision-making and policies implementations to rural communities and beyond.

Assessment of knowledge and awareness of oral health in rural and urban school teachers in Bareilly city: A cross-sectional study

Background: To assess the oral health knowledge and awareness among urban and rural school teachers in and around Bareilly. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 279 school teachers of rural and urban, Bareilly using a questionnaire to assess the knowledge, and awareness regarding oral health. Descriptive analysis was done and data were analyzed using chi-square and ANOVA test. Results: The age of the teachers ranged from 19-50 years with a mean age of 36.73±10.5 years. Among them, 17.20%(48) were males and 82.7% (231) females, among which 75% of the population brushed their teeth twice daily. Most of the teachers (40.38%) used a brush and paste and 57% of teachers changed their brushes every 3mnths, 10% in every 6 months while 27% were those who changes their brush when their bristles get frayed up. Conclusion: From the results of the study, it is evident that school teachers in both urban and rural areas, with more emphasis on the rural area, need to be provided with adequate training on effective oral hygiene practices.

Staffing and Retention Challenges of Teachers in Rural Schools of Eswatini: The Case of the Lubombo Region

This article draws attention to staffing and retention challenges that teachers face in rural schools in Eswatini. Despite policies and strategies developed by the Ministry of Education and Training, retention and staffing challenges continue unabated in rural schools. The continuing challenges indicate that limited success is achieved with the implementation of staffing and retention strategies. Drawing on staffing and retention literature, coupled with empirical data derived from teachers and head teachers in the Lubombo Region in Eswatini, this article proposes an alternative, multifaceted contextual approach to reducing staffing and retention challenges. A focus on lived rural and teaching experiences at rural schools offsets the abstract and one-dimensional universal approach to staffing and retaining teachers adopted by the office of the Teaching Service Commission in the Ministry of Education and Training in Eswatini. The article recommends that the office of the Teaching Service Commission should follow a context-specific differentiated approach based on thick analysis of staffing and retention challenges of teachers in rural schools.

Material Adaptation Among Rural Primary School English Language Teachers

This study is meant to investigate rural primary school teachers’ views on the use of imported textbooks and their adaptation strategies in dealing with foreign content in the prescribed materials. A qualitative approach was employed using semi-structured interviews, involving seven rural primary school English language teachers. The responses were orthographically transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The teachers disclosed that they did not have problems with the grammatical elements in the textbooks, but the cultural context needed to be locally presented to make the materials meaningful to their students. Teachers with fewer years of teaching experience, as opposed to experienced teachers, were found to be more innovative in their classrooms. Prospective research might better consider larger samples and employ a deliberate method of study for a better generalisation. Keywords: CEFR; English language learning; imported textbooks; material adaptation; rural primary school teachers

Pinpointing difficulties in school religious education to assist in teaching support (Identificación de las dificultades en la educación religiosa escolar para un mejor apoyo a la docencia)

ABSTRACT This study addresses difficulties encountered when teaching school religious education in rural contexts. The objective is to reveal critical dimensions for teaching and to propose a pedagogical support programme for teachers of religion. The method used is qualitative, and the design is based on Grounded Theory. Participants are teachers of rural schools. The data collection considered semi-structured interviews. The results are divided into categories: sociocultural, curricular, ecclesiastical and formative difficulties. The conclusions reached include the need for a proposal to teach school religious education with an intercultural and interreligious approach. Teachers of religion experience a sense of abandonment, which requires designing socioculturally relevant teaching support programmes.

Teacher Education for a Rural-Ready Teaching Force: Swings, Roundabouts, and Slippery Slides?

The preparation of teachers for rural schools has been a significant focus of research for many decades. In this paper we update previous reports of the extent of Initial Teacher Education courses that prepare teachers for rural schools in Australia. We found that despite significant and continued calls for rural teacher education, there are still very few rural-teaching units offered in teacher education courses, and there are no courses at all that seek this as an explicit outcome. As the Australian Professional Standards for Teaching claim the importance of teachers understanding students and their contexts, we argue that effective teacher education must not only focus on understanding rurality, and developing awareness of the affordances of place, but must also address the pedagogical requirements for present day rural teaching. We argue that the lack of teacher preparation for locational, geographic forms of social difference works to produce and sustain educational disadvantage when these intersect with economic and cultural difference. On this basis we call for government to address this major failing in the provision of education for Australian children through policy change to teaching standards.

Exploring working conditions in selected rural schools: teachers’ experiences

Even though quality education is important for the empowerment of individuals and development of society, some rural schools in South Africa continue to function amid tough conditions. Because little research on the topic exists, with this article I explore and identify teachers’ experiences of the working conditions in rural schools in South Africa. A qualitative, descriptive and interpretive case study was used, and 5 schools were purposively selected as cases for the study, 2 primary and 3 secondary schools. Interviews and observations with 11 teachers provided insight into the difficult working conditions that teachers in some rural school need to contend with. Teachers in rural schools continue to experience difficult working conditions and due to their loyalty to their schools, they do not relocate to other schools. Dilapidated infrastructure, a lack of chalk boards, insufficient textbooks, among others, hamper teacher’s working conditions and constrain their teaching. The participants in the study indicated that principals played a fundamental role in supporting and inspiring teachers who work under challenging conditions.

Information Literacy and Metacognitive Abilities of Teachers: Case of a South African Rural School

The objective of this qualitative study was to assess the information literacy and metacognitive abilities of teachers in a rural school in South Africa. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Due to COVID-19 safety considerations, primary data was acquired from 10 teachers via semi-structured telephonic interviews. All participants’ views were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis to determine the similarities and differences in terms of their responses. The findings of the study amongst others revealed that despite the giant strides made by the South African government to digitize teaching and learning activities in schools, large proportion of rural teachers have phobia to use computer applications unassisted. Also, low self-evaluation, goal-setting and help-seeking/self-reflection were found to be metacognitive abilities which hamper their effective teaching skills via usability of ICT. The study concludes by recommending programmes such as cognitive development, emotional intelligence, computer-digital programming for all teachers in rural schools for optimal performance.

“Arm the Schoolmistress!” Loneliness, Male Violence, and the Work and Living Conditions of Early Twentieth-Century Female Teachers in Sweden

AbstractStarting in the late nineteenth century, the teaching profession became increasingly feminized. This article examines the results of this process, exploring the working and living conditions of rural female primary school teachers with a focus on the experiences of loneliness, harassment, and violence that they suffered in early twentieth-century Sweden. By investigating the public debate on these issues 1900–1940, we found that two main threats to the well-being of female teachers were identified: isolation and the threat of male violence. Male politicians as well as female authors and teachers acknowledged that female teachers faced loneliness, anxiety, and possible threats from violent men. The consequences of these threats were both emotional and practical, but the debate focused to a large extent on practical solutions such as providing the teachers with telephones, guard dogs, or weapons.

EFL teachers’ online teaching in rural schools during the COVID-19 pandemic: Stories from Indonesia

The implementation of online English instruction in remote areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, which mandates school closures, remains unknown, especially given these areas’ reputation for inadequate educational facilities. Additionally, the preparations, implementation, and challenges experienced by English as a Foreign Language (henceforth, EFL) teachers in rural areas remain unclear. This study therefore aimed at exploring the experiences of EFL teachers in rural areas on (1) their readiness for conducting online teaching, (2) their implementation of online teaching, and (3) the challenges during the implementation of online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was conducted in Indonesia with eight English teachers in rural schools. This study was a qualitative study that employed a phenomenological study approach and used semi-structured interviews to collect the data. The findings indicate that EFL teachers, during this pandemic time, were able to conduct fully online English teaching because they possessed sufficient knowledge of English instruction using technology. Additionally, these teachers might leverage various technologies and adapt those tools to transform their usual face-to-face English instruction into online instruction. Nonetheless, these teachers in rural schools frequently encountered challenges with internet connectivity, student-owned technology devices, student enthusiasm, and student netiquette when enrolling in online English teaching. Additionally, this article discusses some practical considerations for implementing online English teaching during a pandemic.

8 - Transformative Autonomy: Mixed Notes from Teachers to Higher Education

Transformative autonomy is ‘the form of autonomy in which school role players, such as teachers, have the urge to be involved with fellow role players in education development initiatives towards social transformation which contributes to democracy’ (Nel 2014: 790). This theoretical construct was formulated to narrow the gap between teaching practice and societal concerns since it recognizes that teachers do have a certain degree of au- tonomy over their professional practice but also a responsibility towards the evolving South African democracy. In an effort to test the veracity of transformative autonomy as a theoretical construct data was gathered from three sets of participants: twenty-six postgraduate students, thirteen rural primary school teachers and thirty-one conference delegates. Some key findings are that participants generally acknowledged their control over curriculum aspects and some degree of control over matters of discipline. A curious finding is the appearance of discipline as an aspect over which some participants felt they have control and other participants felt they had no control. These findings, and others, are discussed in the context of transformative autonomy. One of the main conclusions is that these par- ticipants display an intuitive understanding of their autonomy as teachers but that they still do not have a clear idea of how to link their expertise to societal transformation. It is lastly concluded that the issue of autonomy has epistemological implications insofar as the condition of knowledge production, reproduction and dissemination is concerned, all of which impact on teachers’ intellectual integrity. Higher education, therefore, is alerted to its responsibility in teacher training.

Inclusive education in rural schools of Ukraine or how to ensure quality inclusive education in rural schools in Ukraine?

The aim of the paper is to reveal the challenges of implementation of inclusive education in typical rural schools of Ukraine. The authors performed empirical research to identify attitudes of rural school teachers towards inclusive education as well as their understanding of existing barriers and priorities to improve the quality of educational services for students with special educational needs (SEN). To achieve the aim of the research, the following methods have been used: reviewing of psychological and pedagogical literature, questionnaire surveys, quantitative and qualitative analysis of the obtained data. The outlined problem has been theoretically analyzed and the peculiarities and difficulties of teaching students with special educational needs in rural areas have been substantiated. The paper describes survey responses of teachers involved in the inclusive process in rural schools. 192 representatives of different age categories and regions of Ukraine participated in this empirical study. The paper explores questions of effective management of rural schools, professional cooperation in a team of psychological and pedagogical support of students with special educational needs, promotion of inclusive practices via information and communication technologies (ICT) and STEAM-laboratories, cooperation within local communities, introduction of universal design for learning and others. Prospects for the development of rural inclusive schools in current conditions of digitalization of education also have been identified.