Exploring Rural Knowledges
About
This program of research examines how knowledges in/of/for the rural are engaged with in contemporary (Australian) education. To achieve this, the program of research looks at knowledge in the curriculum, community perspectives of valued knowledges, and how rural meanings and ways of knowing are engaged with in education systems. This work is situated in the intellectual tradition of the curriculum inquiry field, and engages with the ‘knowledge question’ in curriculum research. The work aims to uncover the workings of metrocentric / metro-normative knowledges in education, and explore how these knowledge systems create rural (educational) disadvantage. It aims to enhance understanding of the existing and unique knowledges in rural, regional and remote communities and how these can be used to enhance achievement in contemporary, metropolitan-focused, education.
Current Projects
ARC DECRA: Engaging rural knowledges for sustainable futures: spatial justice and rural schooling
This research aims to outline the spatial dimensions of educational access and achievement, identify forms of rural knowledges, and explore avenues for their inclusion in Australian education. It also aims to identify dimensions of rural school success as understood by rural communities and expressed in their own terms.
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ARC Discovery Project: Building rural knowledges: connecting classrooms, communities and leaders with curriculum
This project focusses on building on rural knowledges to unlock the potential of rural students and advance understanding of the distinctive knowledges that rural students bring to school. It also focusses on developing teaching practices that build on these rural knowledges to unlock the potential of this significant student population.
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NSW Ambassador Schools Program
The NSW Ambassador Schools project is a collaborative project led by UNSW with UC and CSU, and funded by the NSW Department of Education. This project aims to identify high-performing public schools in NSW and share their practices with other schools across the state and beyond.
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Cultural context in standardised tests
This study explores the impact of designing culturally contextualised tests on student tests scores in north western NSW. The tests were designed to mimic NAPLAN tests and were written in consultation with the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group.
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The sociocultural experiences of rural students at university
This project aims to begin to understand how a rural upbringing may influence students’ experiences at university. The project examines the disjuncture between rural, regional and remote student knowledges and those they encounter in gaining entry to, and during their time at university.
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