Archive for category: Journals

Table of Contents

Feature Articles

• Addressing the Needs of the Gifted in Rural Areas. The Armidale Catholic Schools Office Project – Stan Bailey, Bruce Allen Knight, Dan Riley
• Adult Education an Local Economic Development in Australia – Robb Mason, Shirley Randell
• Corporate Managerialism, Itensification and the Rural Primary Principal – Elisabeth Hatton
• Small Rural Schools and their Communities and the Impact of Rapid Change – Bernadette Bowie
• Teaching in a Small Rural School During the 1930’s: An Oral History – Brian Hemmings
• Interactive Television and Problem Based Learning: Viable Delivery ‘technologies’ for Rural Teacher Education – Ian W Gibson, Kay L Gibson
• Australian Rural Education Research Association

Book Review

• New South Wales Education Week Address – Noel Hicks, MP, Member for Riverina

Table of Contents

Feature Articles

• What Rural Schools Can Teach Urban Systems – Kathleen Cushman
• Building Bridges Between Aboriginal and Western Mathematics: Creating an Effective Mathematics Learning Environment – J.A. Robinson & R.M. Nichol
• Brightening the Lives of Shy Bush Children: The Vision of Ballarat Teachers’ College Principal William Henry Ellwood 1926 ­ 1931 – Keith Moore

Brief Reports

• The Postal Sunday School Movement Inc Robert Price Teaching Experience in a School of the Air Heath Anderson Isolated Schools’ Project – Sheila King
• Australian Rural Education Award 1998

Book Review

• Sustainable Small Schools ­ A Handbook for rural Communities Craig B Howley and John M Eckman – Reviewed by Ken Stevens

Table of Contents

Feature Articles

• Listening to Country voices: Preparing, Attracting and Retaining Teachers for Rural and Remote Areas – Allan Yarrow, Paul Herschell and Jan Millwater
• The Functions of school Councils in Canada and Australia – Colin Boylan and John Davis
• Self-­Efficacy: A Mediating Role in Agricultural Study – Petrina Quinn
• School and Community Partnerships: Collaborating Through the Development of Interactive, Multimedia Learning Resources – Tammy Dunn, Ian Gibson, Heather Bohaty, Gary Merritt and Erick Witherspoon
• Developing Potential in Aboriginal Children – Graham Chaffey and Di Brown

Brief Reports

• Reflections on Teaching Remote and Isolated Children – Geoff Rogers Birdsville Shelley Dwyer
• Teaching in Gunpowder – Elizabeth Williams
• 1999 Australian Rural Education Award

Table of Contents

Feature Articles

• Isolated Parents’ Perceptions of the Education of their Children with Disabilities – Diana du Plessis and Jeff Bailey

Short Articles

• A Composer ­in­ Residence Project at Meekatharra School of the Air, Western Australia – Belinda Yourn,
• Providing Vocational Education and Training (VET) in NSW Rural Schools and Students: The ‘state of play’ – Don Squires
• Student Teacher Reports Isolated Schools Project – Sherrin Bell
• Teaching in a Small Rural Community – Michelle MacCartie,
• Internship in a Small Rural School – what an experience! – Bonnie Hieatt
• Anyway, What is a Children’s Services Advisor? – Kylie Duffy
• What’s So Good About a Small Rural School? …. EVERYTHING! – Michelle Cook
• Rural Kid, Rural Adult, Rural Teacher: Diary of an intern – Jodi Penfold

Notices

• 2000 Australian Rural Education Award
• 2001 Australian Rural Education Award
• Call for Visual Material Call for Manuscripts
• Guide to Contributors
• 2001 Journal Renewal

Table of Contents

Feature Articles

• Cultural Practices of Pedagogy: Literacy Contexts for Young Aboriginal Students in Inner & Outer Regional Australia – Susan Clancy and Lee Simpson, Charles Sturt University
• Empowering an Indigenous Rural Community: Local Teachers for Local Schools – John Delany and Derek Wenmouth, Distance Education Coordinators, Christchurch College of Education
• Sport, Physical Education and Country Towns: Diverse Enough? – Michael Gard, Human Movement Studies Unit, Charles Sturt University
• Otitis Media, Learning and Community – David McSwan, Emma Clinch and Ron Store, Rural Education Research and Development Centre, James Cook University
• “Good Morning, I’m a Heterosexual”: A case in the closet in rural Australia – Belinda Downey, Charles Sturt University

From the Field

• A Rural Bridging course for women and problem based learning – Judith Wooller and Lesley Warner, Central Queensland University
• Building A Sustainable Approach to Working In A Diverse Community: A Country Areas Program (CAP) District Initiative, including Walgett Public School, St Joseph’s Primary School Walgett, personnel from the Walgett Community of Schools and members of the Walgett community – Workshop presenters: Dr R V (Bob) Morgan – Director, Murri Consultants & Associates Ms Liz Sweaney – CAP Consultant, Batemans Bay CAP District Mrs Shirley Fuller – CAP Consultant, Moree CAP District

Table of Contents

Feature Articles

• Multiage Classes: what research tells us about their suitability for rural schools – Linley Lloyd, School of Education, University of New England
• A foot in both camps: School students and workplaces – Annette Green, Charles Sturt University Erica Smith, SA Wholesale Retail & Personal Services ITAB
• Student teacher stress and coping mechanisms – Brian Hemmings, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga campus Tania Hockley, St Thomas’ Catholic Primary School, Willoughby
• The contribution of adult males in early childhood services: What current literature implies for rural children’s services – Keiran Arthur

From the Field

• My practical experience at Mornington Island State School – Megan Derrick, University of Southern Queensland
• Windorah – a Western Experience – Amanda Ginnivan, University of Southern Queensland

Table of Contents

Erratum

Feature Articles

• Using Web2.0 Applications to Close The Digital Divide In Western Australia – Sue Trinidad and Tania Broadley
• Kindergarten Transition in a Small Rural School: From Planning to Implementation – Amy Macdonald
• Bringing Professional Experience to the Rural University Classroom Through Community Play Sessions: Experiences of Pre­Service Teachers and Families – Laura Mcfarland and Alison Lord
• An Exploration of Issues in the Attraction and Retention of Teachers to Non­ Metropolitan Schools in Western Australia – Sandra Frid, Melanie Smith, Len Sparrow and Sue Trinidad
• Australian Rural Education Award
• 2007 Australian Rural Education Award Winner
• Australian Rural Education Award – Talbingo Public School Clean Energy Park
• Book Reviews
• SPERA Information
• Membership Form
• S.P.E.R.A. Order Form: Conference Proceedings
• Education in Rural Australia
• Guide to Contributors
• Correspondence Address for Contributions

(ISSN 1036­0026)

Table of Contents

Guest Editorial Comments – Colin Boylan

• The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Rural Development – John Bryden
• Current issues in Rural Education in Newfoundland and Labrador – Dennis M. Mulchay
• Improving Student Outcomes in Rural and Small Schools – Clark E, Gardener & Art Borgemenke
• Local Solutions for Local Problems: Addressing Teacher Supply in Rural Communities – Russell Yates
• The Perceptions of Stakeholders in Canada and Wales on Health Education in Rural Communities: A Comparative Study – Aniko Varalotai & Malcolm Thomas
• The Impact of an Immersion Experience in Alaska Native Community Cultural Life on Pre­Service Teachers – Colin R Boylan & Ted R Munsch

Journal Papers

The Rural Population Transformation and Education in Australia

David McSwan, School of Education, James Cook University

Abstract

This paper aims to relate the Australia data on rural­-urban migration and economic change to education. It illustrates that there has been scant policy attention to the fundamental role of education in the changing nature of Australia’s rural areas. Australia’s rural policy has been firmly driven by the massive political power of the rural industries and mining lobbies; the voice of rural communities being lost to the winds. Governments should be alert to the needs or rural Australia. Issues of social justice and equity are being raised and heard as never before and ordinary Australians are increasingly aware of, and cherish, our rural communities, our rural image, and or sense of ourselves as sharing a rural heritage. Recent data show that regional Australia, in favoured areas, is prospering. A number of policy considerations are canvassed with the conclusion that leading­-edge information and communications technologies are an essential prerequisite if regional Australia is to prosper and metropolitan areas and the south­-east are to avoid undesirable crowding. Isolated rural areas are more problematic and a policy approach to a sustainable future for them is not immediately apparent to the author.

The place and meaning of physical activity, physical education, and physical culture in the lives of young people living in rural Queensland

Jessica Lee, School of Human Movement Studies, University of Queensland

Abstract

Young people living in rural and regional areas are often reported as being less physically active than are young people living elsewhere. An understanding of this phenomenon will inform policies and strategies to address this finding. One source of valuable information is a qualitative understanding of how social relations and cultural meanings influence young people’s opportunities and choices in relation to physical activity as told by young people themselves. It is envisaged that this information will inform the development of school curricula to engage young people and which will enable schools, community groups and governments to collaborate in meeting the needs of young people living in rural Queensland.

German Lutherans and the ‘English’: culture, conflict and building a one-­room school in the Wimmera 1873­1881

Peter Rushbrook, Charles Sturt University

Abstract

The paper is an edited version of a paper delivered to the ‘Country Schooling: Old Stories, New Lessons’ Conference at the University of Iowa, USA, 27­29 June 2002. It explores tensions between German and English settlers in establishing a one­room school in Murtoa, a hamlet in Victoria’s Wimmera district, between 1873­1881. The narrative reveals some broader themes of the period relating to the establishment of a state­based ‘Free, Compulsory and Secular’ education system, the challenges associated with building schools in remote rural areas, and the related hardships faced by teacher.

Partners and Pathways in Education: The Whyalla Model

Janet Sawyer, Business and Enterprise, University of South Australia Whyalla Campus Pam Zubrinich, Business and Information Services, Spencer Institute of TAFE John Carter, Business Education, Enterprise and Vocational Education, Edward John Eyre High School

Abstract

This paper describes the educational relationships that have been established between three key educational institutions within the regional city of Whyalla in South Australia. Edward John Eyre High School, Spencer Institute of TAFE and the Whyalla Campus of the University of South Australia have formed a partnership to promote the educational pathways available in the area of Business Studies. The regional educational opportunities created will assist in retaining young people who wish to study in the business field as well as encourage graduates to remain within their local communities. This important initiative embraces the rationale of successful learning communities and aims to develop skilled professional business people who will become future leaders in business and enterprise and contribute to the economic and social success of regional South Australia.

 

Journal Papers

Beyond The Agricultural Paradigm in Regional and Rural Australia: Building Capacity to Create a Preferred Future

Janelle Allison, Centre for Rural and Regional Innovation, The University of Queensland Jock Douglas, Wyoming, via Roma

Abstract

Regional and rural Australia is undergoing significant change. Among the drivers for change are: (1) an emerging discourse on nature that challenges the agricultural centric view which has dominated regional and rural Australia; (2) transforming agricultural landscapes, which are increasingly multifunctional and complex; and (3) a search for a contemporary bush identity which is relevant and inclusive and which accommodates the diversity of views about rural Australia. The paper describes two illustrative initiatives: the Australian Landcare Management System (ALMS); and the Roma Bush Gardens Project (RBG). These initiatives have been developed to assist individuals and communities to learn – to develop awareness and understanding of the dimensions of change now effecting significant impact on rural landscapes. These initiatives provide examples of the basis to chart a new course, and to create and build individual and broader community capacity to enable regional communities to engage strategically with change and to consider an ‘unknown’ or new future through the promotion of environment and educational learnings.

Social Entrepreneurship and Partnerships with Regional and Remote Schools

Bernadette Walker­Gibbs, Faculty of Education and Creative Arts, Central Queensland University

Abstract

This paper explores how notions of social entrepreneurship have inspired me to engage in innovative partnerships with two small rural schools in Central Queensland, Australia. I seek to explore practical ways in which to help rural schools contribute to the transformation of their schools, considering that we are now in an information­based society operating in a postmodern world where change happens quickly and continually. The paper explores the mapping of the journeys undertaken both by the schools and by myself as a university lecturer, and analyses how the concept of social entrepreneurship is used to empower schools with these changes. I examine the two partnerships with local schools more closely in terms of helping the participants – myself included – become social entrepreneurs by deploying innovative problem solving strategies that can provide ways forward to help us to begin to revolutionise the regional and rural education ‘industry’ and in the process engage regional and rural communities.

Multilingualism and Local­Global Identities: Japanese Language Education In Rural Australia

Barbara Hartley, The University of Queensland

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine the value accruing to a regional area in Australia from the location of an undergraduate Japanese language education program in a university in that area. The focus is on the manner in which the inclusion of such a program enhances the sustainability of the area. Sustainability is here defined as the resilience demonstrated by social subjects in the absence of the full range of services available in more densely populated and resource advantaged areas. Such resilience implies an ongoing capacity on the part of subjects to contribute productively to social and economic networks in the area. The discussion includes two cases of graduates of the program under review. On the basis of these cases, the argument is advanced that local regional and rural area access to a tertiary sector second language program offers a unique and valuable strategic dimension to the personal and professional development of social agents in regional areas and to the sustainability of these areas generally.

Adult Literacy Teachers in Central Queensland: A Discursive Positioning of Teachers, Policies and Funding in Regional, Rural and Remote Communities

R. E. (Bobby) Harreveld, Division of Teaching and Learning Services, Central Queensland University

Abstract

The sociocultural markers of adult literacy teachers’ identities are significant for understanding the nature of teaching which is constructed through, and contingent upon, diverse geographical and systemic spaces – at once a dilemma and a strategy in promoting education in regional areas. This article reports on one aspect of the work of a cohort of 23 adult literacy teachers living in regional, rural and remote areas of Central Queensland. Discourse theory is used to frame the conceptualisation of one particular teacher’s discursive positioning of her work. The article concludes that the relationships between adults positioned as teachers and students can become a community resource with the potential for rural engagement and for transformation of social and economic capital in such communities.

Beyond the Divide: Individual, Institutional and Community Capacity Building in a Western Australian Regional Context

John Smyth, Texas State University, San Marcos Barry Down, School of Education, Murdoch University

Abstract

This paper describes the early beginnings and some preliminary theorising of the complexities involved in obtaining a clearer understanding of schooling for young adolescents in regional and rural settings. We explain how our thinking is developing around ways to approach some case study schools and their communities that are advancing on the idea of learning as a form of regional and rural engagement. The central theoretical construct is how educational ‘capacity building’ that engages young people works against the prevailing trend of increasing numbers of young people leaving school prematurely. This construct is illustrated by reference to the complex and diverse situations and needs of young people in the Kwinana/Rockingham area of the Fremantle/Peel Education District in Western Australia.

A Principal’s Perspective on Multi-­literacies in an Australian Show Community: Implications for Learning as Rural Engagement

Catherine Fullerton, Queensland School for Travelling Show Children Geoff Danaher, Faculty of Informatics and Communication, Central Queensland University Beverly Moriarty, Faculty of Education and Creative Arts, Central Queensland University Patrick Alan Danaher, Division of Teaching and Learning Services, Central Queensland University

Abstract

The mobile community that owns and operates ‘sideshow alley’ in Australia’s agricultural show circuits has traditionally been marginalised in terms of formal education provision. However, the establishment of the Queensland School for Travelling Show Children in 2000 reflected the aspirations of show people and sympathetic educators that education for mobile groups can be enacted differently. This different educational enactment is explored through the conceptual lens of a ‘multiliteracies’ framework (Cope & Kalantzis, 2000), which is used to identify and value the complex and diverse forms of sense ­making that the show people deploy. This paper focuses on the perspective of the Principal of the school, who was one of the interviewees in the research reported here and also the lead author of this paper. Analysis of these data indicates that formal learning that embraces and enhances multiliteracies is one significant strategy for promoting education productively – and potentially transformatively – in such communities.