Emerging Leadership in Rural Education Research: In the Schoolhouse and the Academy

• In Event: Leading Rurally: Lessons on Leadership in Australian and American Rural Education

Abstract

Purpose
In this paper, I share my experiences transitioning from a leadership role in a rural Australian school to an early career leader in rural education research. I unpack how my connections to rural places in Australia and the USA have influenced my responses to challenges faced while establishing my leadership in the context of an urban university during the COVID-19 pandemic. I use these insights to inform strategies other rural education leaders can draw on as they face challenges in developing their leadership identity.

Perspective
I share understandings of my role as an emerging leader – someone working to establish myself in academia – in the rural education field after reflecting on similar challenges from my time as a leader in a rural schoolhouse. These reflections shape my approaches and understanding of leading rurally. Many rural education researchers have deep roots in rural places and education before we start our research careers. How can we transfer our skills and knowledge, developed though leadership in rural schoolhouses, to our roles as leaders in rural research and service?

Methods
I undertook a narrative self-study to examine a series of critical moments in my rural research leadership journey. This method is valuable to rural education researchers exploring the influence of rural identity on their work (Author & Colleague, 2016).

Data Sources
The data for this paper are personal narratives that were written and re-written across more than a year. The cycle of reflection was heightened by a significant transition in my professional life from being a teacher educator to a postdoctoral fellow at an urban university undertaking a rural-focused project. This reshaped and re-focused my attention to my rurality, as well as my perceptions of my role and ability to contribute as an emerging rural education research leader. The cycle of reflection was aided by a collection of critical friends. Reflecting enabled me to map my growth and development as a leader from my days in the schoolhouse and now in academia. The insights gained underpin the strategies and approaches to leading rurally that I propose in this paper.

Results
The results and discussion are framed around the key questions of: ‘Do I belong here’ and ‘What has been going on’ that emerged from my analysis of the personal narratives. They center on issues of rural identity – am I ‘rural enough’ to be a leader in this place – and connections to community – how can I navigate conflicts from afar. I argue that embracing one’s sense of rurality and creating a community of collaborators are essential for success in rural education research leadership.

Scholarly Significance
As a new research leader, I provide general strategies and approaches that hopefully resonate with others as they continue their process of emerging as rural education leaders in their own contexts – even if they have been on the leadership trail for a long time. These strategies are aimed to help people build their confidence to lead in rural academia by leveraging the skills and knowledge they developed in the schoolhouse.

Author

• Melyssa Fuqua, University of Melbourne