In mid-June Queensland University of Technology partnered with the Mount Isa and Atherton Centres for Learning and Wellbeing (CLAW) to provide an opportunity for third-year Bachelor of Education students to participate in an immersive experience whereby they were able to experience life and teaching in rural and remote education settings and their associated communities. The aim of the program was to promote rural and remote teaching with a view for students to complete their fourth-year professional experience and/or future employment in these settings. After two years of not being able to travel, QUT Academic Champion for this rural and remote program Dr Meegan Brown commented that it was fantastic to be able to once again support pre-service teachers to experience education settings and communities in rural and remote areas.
The Queensland Department of Education’s CLAW have been designed to support the development of teachers in rural and remote areas and enhance leadership capabilities at all stages of their careers. The centres also assist and support teacher wellbeing and facilitate support for students and families.
Out of 27 applications, 20 students were chosen to participate in this valuable program, with 12 students visiting Mount Isa and 8 visiting Atherton. In Atherton, students visited Ravenshoe, Lakeland, Rossville, and Cooktown communities, and in Mount Isa students visited Mount Isa schools, Cloncurry, Dajarra, and Boulia. As well as visiting local schools and having the opportunity to speak with teachers and principals, students were able to participate in community life, with visits to the local Mount Isa Show, the Atherton wind farm, and a local dairy – something a lot of participants commented they had never been exposed to before. Students in the Atherton program were also able to engage with Indigenous leaders (Aunty Dolly) and participate in a school athletics carnival.
Data from students visiting the Atherton region showed they had significant growth around their knowledge of remote and rural contexts, schools, and students, with increases in their knowledge of 200% +. Data also indicated that after completing this immersive experience students now had a much higher interest in completing a fourth-year practical experience in rural and remote schools and showed a keener interest in seeking employment in these settings post-graduation. Feedback from the students indicated that this type of experience was able to successfully satisfy the questions they had in relation to this experience prior to travel and the thing that most surprised students was the level of passion and care teachers and principals showed for teaching in rural and remote communities.
Prior to the immersion experience, only 4 out of the 12 that participated in the Mount Isa component of the program indicated that they were likely to complete a fourth-year practical experience in a rural and remote area. After the completion of the trip, 10 students indicated they were likely to complete a fourth-year professional experience in these areas and 11 indicated their intention to take up a teaching position in a rural and remote area after completion of their degree.
Quotes from students in both regions indicated the experience was invaluable and their interest in working in these locations had skyrocketed. Other students found the program to be welcoming and engaging and provided an opportunity to break down misconceptions about working in these areas and developed their professional knowledge and understanding regarding these contexts.
Overall, there were strong connections made between students themselves and the local communities they visited.
Increasing trauma-informed research indicates that there are often high levels of trauma present in these communities with children 3 times more likely to have a child protection report than children in metropolitan areas. Add to that the impact of colonisation in these areas and the impact of natural disasters like fire, flood, and drought, educators need to be equipped with trauma-informed practices to support children and communities. Some of the participants in QUT/CLAW Rural and Remote Community Engagement Program had been exposed to trauma-aware education practices throughout their teacher training and were able to identify trauma aspects within communities and could link this back to information provided by QUT researcher Dr Meegan Brown. In addition, participants were able to identify teaching strategies used by educators they visited.
Research by Dr Meegan Brown aligned with participants feedback on the program in that there was an overall importance placed on being culturally aware; teachers being provided with support in these areas; self-care and wellbeing and acknowledgment of building and maintaining relationships with students, families and communities when working in these areas.
Because of the work CLAW is doing in these communities there is a lot more support for teaching in rural and remote areas and QUT is proud to partner with CLAW to improve educational outcomes for children, families, and educators in these remote and rural areas.
Read more about Dr Meegan Brown’s recent research here.
Rural and remote teaching involves working in communities that are geographically isolated, often far from major cities or urban centers. Teachers in these areas play a critical role in community development and education equity.