Vol. 36 No. 1 (2026): What's Rural About Rural Education Research

This issue offers readers a broad range of articles that discuss various aspects of rural education in different learning settings in Australia, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand and Japan. One of the common threads in the editorial is about the ‘rurality’ of rural education research. Drawing on the articles we provide an answer to the question: ‘what’s rural about rural education research?’ We conclude that rurality in rural education research reflects teaching and learning. It is contextual, based on the place, where knowledge is generated from the rural. Importantly too, it draws from the realities that make rural education unique. Rural education research reflects the values of the place and uses methodologies which give voice to the people of rural communities. It is relational rather than transactional. It is not the opposite of research in urban areas, and it should not be seen as a reaction to metrocentric views of the rural as being in some kind of deficit. As you read through this set of articles, we encourage you to take time to consider how rurality intersects with education and research.