Perceptions of Teaching in two Types of Isolated Australian Secondary Schools

An Analysis of Four Dimensions of Rural Education

Authors

  • Ken Stevens Department of Education, Victoria University of Wellington, N.Z.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47381/aijre.v2i2.364

Abstract

The concept "rural" in Australia is capable of different meanings according to the state (e.g. Tasmania versus Queensland) and in terms of location in relation to major centres of population. In a study in two rural Queensland secondary schools different perceptions of
teaching were found: rural school A is located in the western interior of the state while rural school B is in the hinterland of two large coastal cities. Four dimensions of rural education are explored - in terms of teacher perceptions of: (i) relationships between themselves and their students together with the local communities; (ii) the state department of education; (iii) the (largely urban)  teaching profession and (iv) professional satisfaction. It is argued that perceptions of teaching in isolated communities are determined by such rural-urban relationships and that the quality of education in rural communities is shaped by such considerations.

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Published

01-07-1992

How to Cite

Stevens, K. (1992). Perceptions of Teaching in two Types of Isolated Australian Secondary Schools: An Analysis of Four Dimensions of Rural Education. Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 2(2), 15–24. https://doi.org/10.47381/aijre.v2i2.364