Rural Teacher Competencies - An International Comparative Study on the Territorial Dimension of Rural Schools

Oct 15, 2026

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Descriptive results from the FOPROMAR project examine rural teachers’ competences connected to the territorial dimension of rural schools. A questionnaire with three parts (professional profile, territorial competences, and knowledge about the territory) was administered to teachers in Spain (Aragon and Catalonia), France (Aquitaine), and Portugal (Alto Alentejo), but only territorial competences results are reported. Teachers rate highest mastery in programme design and development, then professional competences and school-community relations, with the same priority appearing in assessment as more valued than mastered. Findings also call for strengthening competences not included in training plans yet considered necessary for rural school work.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time1 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction and theoretical background

Rural territory definitions and population criteria

School-community relations and the territorial dimension

Training needs for quality rural education

DOI: [https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1542](https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1542) Rural Teacher Competencies: An International Comparative Study on the Territorial Dimension of Rural Schools Juan Lorenzo Lacruz*1, Francesc Buscà Donet2 and Pilar Abós Olivares3 • This article presents the results of a descriptive study carried out within the framework of the FOPROMAR project, obtained after administering a questionnaire regarding competences related to the territorial dimension of rural schools among teachers working in rural schools in Spain (Aragon and Catalonia), France (Aquitaine) and Portugal (Alto Alentejo) . The questionnaire included three parts (professional profile, competences on the territorial dimension of the school and knowledge about the territory), but only the results referring to the competences section are presented, showing the level of relevance and the degree of mastery that teachers express in relation to these competences. According to the results, the competences with the greatest mastery are those referring to the design and development of programmes, followed by professional competences and school-community relations. This order is also found in the assessment carried out, indicating that they are more valued than mastered. One of the conclusions is the need to reinforce competences not included in training plans, but considered more necessary and important for working in rural schools. Keywords: rural school, territorial dimension, teaching competences, teacher training 1 *Corresponding Author. Faculty of Education, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain; [jlorenzo@unizar.es](jlorenzo@unizar.es). 2 Faculty of Education, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 3 Faculty of Social and Human Sciences ofTeruel, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain. 146 rural teacher competencies: an international comparative study on the ... Kompetence učiteljev na podeželskih šolah: mednarodna primerjalna študija o ozemeljski dimenziji podeželskih šol Juan Lorenzo Lacruz, Francesc Buscà Donet in Pilar Abós Olivares • V tem članku so predstavljeni izsledki opisne študije, izvedene v okviru projekta FOPROMAR, ki so bili pridobljeni po posredovanju vprašalnika o kompetencah, povezanih z ozemeljsko dimenzijo podeželskih šol, med učitelji, ki delajo na podeželskih šolah v Španiji (Aragonija in Katalonija), Franciji (Akvitanija) in na Portugalskem (Alto Alentejo) . Vprašalnik je vseboval tri dele (poklicni profil, kompetence o ozemeljski dimenziji šole in znanje o ozemlju), vendar so predstavljeni le rezultati, ki se nanašajo na del o kompetencah in ki kažejo stopnjo pomembnosti in obvladovanja, ki jo učitelji izražajo v povezavi s temi kompetencami. Glede na rezultate so najbolj obvladane kompetence, ki se nanašajo na oblikovanje in razvoj programov, sledijo strokovne kompetence ter odnosi med šolo in skupnostjo. Ta vrstni red je razviden tudi iz opravljenega ocenjevanja, kar kaže, da so bolj cenjene kot obvladane. Ena izmedugotovitev je, da je treba okrepiti kompetence, ki niso vključene v načrte usposabljanja, vendar se štejejo za bolj potrebne in pomembne za delo vpodeželskih šolah. Ključne besede: podeželska šola, ozemeljska dimenzija, kompetencepoučevanja, usposabljanje učiteljev Introduction and theoretical background The changes that rural territories have undergone in recent decades are closely linked to the provision of public services, among which schools are fundamental. According to Eurostat (2023), based on January 1, 2021 population data, only 21% of the EU population lived in rural regions, despite the fact that predominantly rural regions accounted for almost half (45%) of the EU’s area. Due to the existence of major differences in geographic, socio-economic and educational aspects between urban-rural Europe (Eurostat, 2022), there is no single concept of rural territory, although the size of the municipality continues to be the criterion most commonly employed. From a demo

FAQs

What is the main focus of the study on rural teacher competences?

The study analyzes teachers’ competences related to the territorial dimension of rural schools, using results from a questionnaire administered under the FOPROMAR project.

Which competences are reported as the most mastered by rural teachers?

Teachers report the greatest mastery in the design and development of programmes, followed by professional competences and school-community relations.

What does the study conclude about teacher training for rural schools?

It highlights the need to reinforce competences not included in training plans but considered more necessary and important for working in rural schools.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by jayni