Teacher collegiality in a remote Australian school

Teachers ’ lives and teachers ’ work remain important areas of educational research today, particularly given the influence of school-based management and the significance of shared leadership in schools. Almost nowhere do the two research fields intersect more closely than in the remote school setting, where teacher turnover is high and the recruitment of experienced teachers is difficult. This article investigates the realities of teachers living and working together in a small school located in a remote, northern Australian, Aboriginal community. It highlights environmental conditions that can be challenging for teachers, both new and recent graduates and those with experience. The research draws attention to collegial community building in a geographically remote location, particularly the development of material and emotional support systems, as a means of managing some of these challenges. is a study of collegiality, a practice that involves teachers working professionally together and supporting their col-leagues socially and emotionally. It seeks to establish what collegiality looks like in practice in a remote school and the benefits that teachers obtain from it. To do so, a brief outline of some of the benefits of teacher collegiality is first provided. This is followed by a description of the research setting. The way collegiality is enacted in this setting is then described using rich qualitative data. Finally, some implica-tions of the study are provided. Benefits of Teacher Collegiality The importance of teacher collegiality in any school is not a new recognition by any means (see for exampl