Terranova: Renewing Teacher Education for Rural and Regional Australia
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TERRAnova: renewing Teacher Education for Rural and Regional Australia Volume 1: Project Report Renewing Rural Teacher Education: Sustaining Schooling for Sustainable Futures ARC Discovery Project 2008‐2010 This research was supported under the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Projects funding scheme (Project DP0879987). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Australian Research Council. Project undertaken by Chief Investigators: Professor Jo‐Anne Reid (Charles Sturt University) Professor Simone White (Monash University) Professor Bill Green (Charles Sturt University) Associate Professor Graeme Lock (Edith Cowan University) Associate Professor Maxine Cooper (University of Ballarat) Dr Wendy Hastings (Charles Sturt University) Copyright © Authors This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owners. ISBN: 978‐1‐86467‐237‐4 National Library of Australia cataloguing‐in‐publication data Title: Project Report / Chief investigator Professor Jo‐Anne Reid [et al.] ISBN: 9781864672374 (pbk) Series: TERRAnova renewing teacher education for rural and regional Australia ; v. 1. Subjects: Teachers—Training of‐‐Australia Teachers‐‐Recruiting‐‐ Australia Rural Schools—Australia Education, Rural‐‐Australia Other Authors/Contributors: Reid, Jo‐Anne Dewey Number: 370.19346099 Published in 2012 Production coordinator: CSU Print Copy Editors: Dale Smith & Kylie Press Cover designer: Tony O’Neill, CSU Print Acknowledgements In settling on the strategically-focused mixed-method approach to data collection and analysis, that we found best suited to achieve our aims, we have drawn on methodological expertise and strengths both within and beyond the research team, and the assistance of several outstanding Research Assistants whose contribution is gratefully acknowledged here. Kim Booby, Jodie Kline and Kylie Press have each worked alongside us on this project at different stages, and over several years. Their contribution has been outstanding, and is gratefully acknowledged. We also acknowledge the support of Professor John Halsey, the Sidney Myer Chair of Rural Education and Communities in the School of Education, Flinders University., whose support and expertise in the –planning stages of the study were instrumental, and the Australian Research Council 2008-2010 (DP0879987), and the mapping expertise of Stephen Gibbs, of Charles Sturt University, who prepared the maps for the Case Studies and Report, and Vianne Tourle, whose expertise with Leximancer software allowed us to experiment with the affordances of this technology for the analysis of large quantities of interview and survey data. Dale Smith has provided the formatting and lay out of Volume One. We are very thankful to all our colleagues in Schools of Education around Australia who distributed surveys to their students, and to those students who took the time and trouble to fill them in, particularly those who agreed to be followed up with interviews over the time of their transition to the workforce. Finally, we acknowledge the wonderful leaders and staff and community members associated with each School we visited. Their hard work and constant struggle to keep these schools operating to the best they can be is reported here, and their success is celebrated. TERRAnova renewing Teacher Education for Rural & Regional Australia Project Report – Volume One Project Summary Chapter One TERRAnova: Introduction and Conclusions – Summary and Recommendations Jo-Anne Reid Section A: Project TERRAnova Chapter Two Rurality, Educational Disadvantage and Teaching in Rural Schools Jo-Anne Reid, Kristina Gottschall, Kim Booby & Kylie Press Chapter Three TERRAnova: Conceptualisation and Design of the Study Jo-Anne Reid Chapter Four Rural Social Space: A Conceptual Framework Bill Green Section B: Themes and Issues Chapter Five Leadership for Rural Teacher Retention Graeme Lock Chapter Six Space and Place in the Attraction and Retention of Teachers Maxine Cooper Chapter Seven Community Capital and Teacher Retention Simone White Chapter Eight Preservice Teacher Education for Rural Schools? Jo-Anne Reid, Wendy Hastings & Jodie Kline Chapter Nine What Will it Take? A Focus on ‘Incentives’ Wendy Hastings Chapter Ten The Case Studies: Researching Schools in Rural Places Wendy Hastings & Jo-Anne Reid References Bibliography Section C: Appendices Appendix One Online Survey of Pre-Service Teachers Appendix Two Information Letter and Invitation to Participate in the Study Appendix Three Questions for Principals Appendix Four Site Visit Questions i TERRAnova renewing Teacher Education for Rural & Regional Australia CASE STUDIES – Volume Two About the Study The NSW studies Corowa Simone White Lightning Ridge Jo-Anne Reid Temora Jo-Anne Reid West Wyalong Jo-Anne Reid Yass Jo-Anne Reid The Queensland Studies Mt Magnet Maxine Cooper Quilpie Maxine Cooper Richmond Maxine Cooper Tieri Maxine Cooper The South Australian Studies Barmera Wendy Hastings Jamestown Wendy Hastings The Tasmanian Studies Smithton High Wendy Hastings Smithton Primary Wendy Hastings The Victorian Studies Alvie Simone White Hamilton Simone White St Arnaud Simone White The Western Australian Studies Bruce Rock Graeme Lock Kununurra Graeme Lock Manjimup Graeme Lock Morowa Graeme Lock References Appendix Case Study Interview Questions ii Contents CHAPTER ONE TERRANOVA: INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSIONS – SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS Overview of the Report Introduction to the Study The Basis For Inquiry Into Rural Staffing Background to the Study Understanding Rurality Teacher Education for Rural Schools Recommendations Recommendations to Teacher Education Institutions Recommendations to Departments of Education - In-service Professional Learning/ Development Recommendation to Registration Authority Recommendation to State/Local Government CHAPTER TWO RURALITY, EDUCATIONAL DISADVANTAGE AND TEACHING IN RURAL SCHOOLS Understanding Rurality Defining Rurality Defining Rurality From Policy Perspectives Defining Rurality in Popular Consciousness Rural Education and Disadvantage Teaching in Rural Communities Staffing Rural Schools – Is It Really A Problem? Staffing and Equity Understanding Rural Teaching Research Into Rural Education ‘Rural’ & ‘Remote’ ‘Challenges’? Beginning Teachers Teacher Education Federal inquiries into rural teacher education NSW inquiries into rural teacher education Other States Indigenous (Teacher) Education Teacher Attraction To Rural Schools and Internships Rural Economy and Rural Education Link Positioning the Rural Implications for Teacher Education Conclusion iii CHAPTER THREE TERRANOVA: CONCEPTUALISATION AND DESIGN OF THE STUDY Section One: Background and Conceptual Framework: ‘The Rural Problem’ in Teacher Education The Field of Rural Education Understanding the Research Field: Education For Rural Sustainability Methodology Section Two: Research Design, Procedures and Processes The Research Questions Research Design Attracting Student Teachers to Undertake Rural Practicum and Rural Teaching Positions Understanding What Works in Rural Schools That Successfully Attract and Retain Teachers Identifying Successful Schools Selecting Successful Schools Initial Contacts, Site Visits and Interviews Initial Contacts Site Visits Interviews Data Analysis Conclusion CHAPTER FOUR RURAL SOCIAL SPACE: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Producing the Rural as Problematic Rethinking the Rural Rural Social Space Indigeneity-Environment-Industry Environment-Industry-Indigeneity Industry-Indigenity-Environment Knowing One’s Place in Rural Social Space Coming to Know One’s Place Conclusion REFERENCES CHAPTER FIVE LEADERSHIP FOR RURAL TEACHER RETENTION Distributing Leadership For School Success Summary The TERRAnova Case Studies iv CHAPTER SIX SPACE AND PLACE IN THE ATTRACTION AND RETENTION OF TEACHERS ‘Knowing One’s Place’ in Rural Social Space Rural Social Space is Constructed in Social Practices and Community Relationships Being Situated By Distance To and From Others A ‘Picturesque’ Location Social Practices and Community Relationships Diverse Spaces Comparing Country and City Contexts As Satisfying Places To Live In Working Around the Seasons and the Rhythms Of Life Is An Important Element Of Rural Social Space In School and Classroom Spaces Attention To Place in Curriculum Is Seen As A Means Of Increasing Rural Student’s Interest and Involvement In Learning Indigenous Spaces Spaces of Silence and Resistance Spaces of Hope and Courage Conclusion CHAPTER SEVEN COMMUNITY CAPITAL AND TEACHER RETENTION Introduction Community, Networks and Resilience Discussion Of the Main Findings Community Involvement Community Renewal Teacher Involvement In Community Activism Hamilton (Economy) St Arnaud (Demography) West Wyalong (Geography) School Community Partnerships Principal-led Resourcing Of Community Initiatives New Teachers Changing Community Communities Supporting Pre-service Teacher Education Conclusion CHAPTER EIGHT PRE-SERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION FOR RURAL SCHOOLS? Introduction Background Method What Do the Undergraduates and New Graduates Have To Say? a) Pre-service Teachers b) Beginning Teachers Discussion Conclusion v CHAPTER NINE WHAT WILL IT TAKE? TEACHER INCENTIVES Introduction Background Incentives