Teacher Education for a Rural-Ready Teaching Force - Swings, Roundabouts, and Slippery Slides? - Article 6

Oct 15, 2026

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Teacher preparation for rural schools remains a longstanding research priority, yet the paper updates evidence on how Initial Teacher Education programs in Australia prepare teachers for rural contexts. Despite persistent calls, few rural-teaching units are offered and none explicitly set rural teaching as an outcome. The article argues that effective rural teacher education must go beyond understanding rurality and place, and address present-day pedagogical requirements, reducing disadvantage created when locational geographic difference intersects economic and cultural difference.

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Abstract

Introduction

Swings and Roundabouts…

Purpose of the Paper

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 47 Issue 3 | Article 6 | | --- | --- | | 2022
Teacher Education for a Rural-Ready Teaching Force: Swings, Roundabouts, and Slippery Slides?
Philip Roberts
University of Canberra
Natalie Downes
Jo-Anne Reid
Charles Sturt University
Follow this and additional works at: [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte)
Part of the Other Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons | | Recommended Citation Roberts, P., Downes, N., & Reid, J. (2022) . Teacher Education for a Rural-Ready Teaching Force: Swings, Roundabouts, and Slippery Slides?. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 47(3) . [http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2022v47n3.6](http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2022v47n3.6) [This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.](This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.)[ ](This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.)[https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol47/iss3/6](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol47/iss3/6) Teacher Education for a Rural-Ready Teaching Force: Swings, Roundabouts, and Slippery Slides? Philip Roberts University of Canberra Natalie Downes University of Canberra Jo-Anne Reid Charles Sturt University Abstract: The preparation of teachers for rural schools has been a significant focus of research for many decades. In this paper we update previous reports of the extent of Initial Teacher Education courses that prepare teachers for rural schools in Australia. We found that despite significant and continued calls for rural teacher education, there are still very few rural-teaching units offered in teacher education courses, and there are no courses at all that seek this as an explicit outcome. As the Australian Professional Standards for Teaching claim the importance of teachers understanding students and their contexts, we argue that effective teacher education must not only focus on understanding rurality, and developing awareness of the affordances ofplace, but must also address the pedagogical requirements for present day rural teaching. We argue that the lack of teacher preparation for locational, geographic forms of social difference works to produce and sustain educational disadvantage when these intersect with economic and cultural difference. On this basis we call for government to address this major failing in the provision of education for Australian children through policy change to teaching standards. Keywords: rural; diversity; pre-service teacher education. Introduction: Swings and Roundabouts… ‘Nicole’ started her teaching career as a secondary History teacher in the K-12 Central School at ‘Utopia Plains’, a small town in rural Australia. It was a good 10-hour drive from the capital city she grew up in, where she had found only a little intermittent casual work in the eight months since graduation. Excited to have been given a full-time teaching position at last, she had left very early to avoid the kangaroos she had been warned about, and in the last two hours had passed through only one other small township. She was glad to see‘Tracy’, a community representative, waiting at the school to welcome her. Tracy took her on a tour of the town and to meet ‘John’, the Principal. It was the Friday before the start of Term Three. Nicole was the only new teacher at this stage. John had not managed to fill a position in the primary stages this late in the year, but at least his only casual teacher was lined up for this term, even though she really didn’t want the role full-time. Showing Nicole her timetable, John talked her through the program for her classes. The Head Teacher Secondary wasn’t likely to be back until the next day and Nicole wanted to start planning her lessons. She was excited to have been given the responsibility of a senior History class in her first year, along with her other secondary classes, though she was concerned about the primary drama class sh

FAQs

What is the main focus of this paper?

The paper examines how Australian pre-service teacher education addresses rural, regional, and remote schooling, using a fictional rural town illustration to highlight gaps in standards and curricula.

What do the authors find about rural-focused units in teacher education?

They find that despite ongoing calls, very few rural-teaching units are available in teacher education courses and there are no courses explicitly targeting rural teaching as an explicit outcome.

Why do the authors argue effective rural teacher education is necessary?

They argue that teacher preparation must address pedagogical requirements for present-day rural teaching, because insufficient preparation for locational geographic social difference helps produce and sustain educational disadvantage.

Oct 15, 2026

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