Presentation 4: Rural Methodology to Inform the Theory-Practice Gap

• In Event: Advancing the Field of Rural Education Research: Research Agendas for Scholars, Practitioners, Policy Makers, and Funders

Abstract

This presentation will provide an overview of commentary on the utility of rural education research and some issues with data and methodology that deserve the field’s attention. Using the same methodology as the previous paper on the NREA Rural Education Agenda for 2022-2027, four central themes were identified from the survey and participant interviews/focus groups related to research methodology that helps to inform practice:
The need for rural research practice partnerships: While research-practice partnerships – in which researchers and districts/schools work together to co-define lines of inquiry together as part of a multi-year commitment to improve practice – have been an emerging trend in education research over the past decade, participants discussed several important considerations for rurally-situated research-practice partnerships. First, participants identified a need for research partnerships between rural schools and communities and higher education partners that focused on conducting research “with” those communities as opposed to “on” those communities. Secondly, participants pointed out that rural research practice partnerships could benefit from being cross-regional or multi-sited, doing the work of both producing knowledge and creating networks for rural practitioners who often work in isolation from one another.
Research that recognizes the heterogeneity and changing nature of rural places: Participants discussed the need for rigorous research that is rooted in the place and space of diverse ruralities spanning both qualitative and quantitative disciplines. They emphasized that research that highlights the heterogeneity and changing demographics of rural places is crucial. Participants acknowledged that while these diverse ruralities existed pre-pandemic, the pandemic has brought attention to infrastructure needs in rural places at the national level, increasing the need to change the narrative about rural places and be sensitive to migration patterns across place and space.
The misalignment of the structure of rural data sets: Participants spoke to their frustration with the structure of datasets that include urbanicity, both at the state and national level. While the question of how rural is defined and to what end is a question that has been much debated, the challenges that participants spoke of for answering common questions related to the research priorities included frustrations such as not being able to break down graduation rates by congressional district, to be able to connect, or having no existing national dataset focused on the experiences of rural educators specifically.
The need for “solution-oriented” research that allows for adaptation of solutions to challenges from one rural context to another: Finally, participants identified the need for research that presents data/findings and data in a way that allows practitioners to apply solutions to their own context. They specifically asked for solutions-oriented research and elaborated that this should take into account the capacity of rural districts to consume research and interpret data due to limited personnel to do this work.
We believe that these findings will be of interest to the AERA Rural Education SIG as they consider the implications of these participant insights into the design and pursuit of the topics around both the NREA and Spencer Rural Education Research agendas.
 

Authors

• Sarah Schmitt-Wilson, Montana State University
  Presenting Author

• Erin McHenry-Sorber, West Virginia University
  Presenting Author

• Kessa Roberts, Utah State University
  Presenting Author