PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) Speeches/Conference Papers (150)

This paper reviews ard analyzes the research in rural education in Australia in recent decades. Research undertaken in other countries is examined where comparisons, differences, or explanations are useful in understanding the Australian context. Following an introduction to the Australian education system and summaries of demographic features of rural areas and schools, key concepts emerging from the literature are discussed. These concepts include rurality, isolation and remoteness, rural education, and distance education. The literature review is structured around four major themes. The theme of schooling covers teachers (recruitment, retention, training for rural areas, and affective factors); students (achievement, dropout rate, and education of minority groups); school-community relationships (community participation, school Aosing, school size, rural lifestyle, and rural schoo