Enhancing desirability: supporting teacher candidates in their placements to succeed in rural schools

Project Details

This research project examines the role that pre-service teacher education placements in rural settings have to become the key to unlock the rural school staffing shortage. It is a qualitative research study with eight pre-service teachers at a metropolitan university who undertook a rural teaching placement. Semi-structured interviews are conducted over 16 months with all participants in this study. Rather than looking at the stage of placement (the “during”) as a single snapshot, this research study examines pre-service teachers’ views along the different stages of their placement: “before”, “during” and “after”. The project also does not aim to assess the kind of work developed at the school of placement but rather look at teacher candidate’s subjective position towards taking up a teaching placement in a rural place. It is expected that the outcomes of this research project will highlight the opportunities and challenges faced by pre-service teachers who elect to complete their placement in a rural school.

Researchers

• Hernán Cuervo
• Daniela Acquaro

Funding

Melbourne Graduate School of Education Seed Funding