Perceptions of Educational Opportunities in Small Schools in Rural Australia and Canada
Abstract Australia and Canada are large countries with small populations relative to their size, in which a not inconsiderable number of citizens live beyond major centres of population. In both resource-based economies, the provision of quality education in rural schools is an important part of the national social and economic infrastructure. This article draws attention to post-compulsory educational opportunities, firstly as an issue for rural students in Australia, and, based on Australian research, its relevance for Canadian young people. Secondly, attention is directed to the realities of rural schools for urban university students and ways that the schools and a university teacher education program can be linked through past and current students of the faculty. Rural students considering urban education and urban teachers considering rural schools are both engaged in building new realities based on perceptions of non-local worlds.
Improving Post-School Outcomes for Rural School Leavers
A study of Year 10 leavers from rural high schools in Tasmania has found that school pressures to remain in Years 11 and 12 have not necessarily solved the post-school career dilemmas of rural youth. Indeed, despite growing numbers of VET options in schools, these are not being taken up significantly by younger students despite student and family aspirations for a ‘steady job” and job related training, within an increasingly depressed and casualised regional labour market. Implications of family support and community “social capital” in negotiating a way through the trials and errors of the work/study mosaic are discussed in relation to national policy frameworks.
Science fairs as learning tool for teaching excellence
Science fairs are usually considered to be a pedagogical and cultural activity that involves the students actively. Gifted students need challenges to further develop their skills while maintaining the motivation level. Science fairs may provide the informal environment that will request and allow these students of excellence to challenge themselves by developing a scientific research project. Despite being well known in different countries, in Portugal first steps are being made on the use and implementation of science fairs as effective pedagogical tool. In this work, we will present a 4 years study that was developed on a Portuguese school with the main goal of evaluating the advantages of this informal way of teaching. The study includes an analysis of the evolution of the students’ knowledge that have participated, or visited, the different science fairs. Some advices for the implementation of these projects will be given. The motivation of the students was monitored as well as the knowledge and skills effectively improved by this activity.